Jealousy In Happiness
by HeartofBlack
Summary: This story is set in Marauder era. It begins when Sirius, James, Remus, Peter, and Lily are ending their fifth year. Since this is a work in progress, I don't know when it will end! You'll have to read it to find out the plot. Enjoy!
1. The Sea After a Storm

Chapter One

Lily was lounging in her dorm, listening to the rain pound against the thick stone walls and delicate glass windows, taking a well-deserved study break. Damn O.W.L.'s. She couldn't concentrate anyway. She couldn't stop _thinking_ about him! Those eyes... those beautiful blue eyes, like the sea after a storm. He was so level-headed and quiet, quite the opposite of the three other prats he hung around with. Especially Potter. Even in her head, she managed to make the name sound like she spat it out resentfully. She dwelled for a moment on the (extremely handsome) big-headed Seeker. And that Sirius. Undeniably the best-looking and most charming troublemaker in the school, she only wished he wouldn't take his godforsaken temper out on people so often. Little Peter was so insignificant and whiny that he was hardly worth her time. This was not her normal attitude, but she justified it by thinking that he deserved it since he drooled over Potter and his stupid Snitch.

Her thoughts drifted back to Remus. Poor, darling Remus. He had so little. He had next to no belief in himself and nobody cared for him, which just made her love him more. And his condition. Being a clever girl, she had, of course, figured out his condition. Her blood ran cold at the thought of those heavenly blue eyes being drowned out by amber, pupils becoming mere slits... She shuddered. But she loved him. She did.

She gave a small sigh, getting off her four-poster and stepping in front of the full-length mirror. Two electrically green eyes stared back at her, staring critically at the deep red hair that fell gracefully to her shoulders, contrasted nicely by the floaty, emerald-colored peasant top and faded blue jeans. She uttered a little thanks that it was Saturday, as rainy as it was. She was tiring of her classes.

Stepping gingerly into her Gryffindor slippers, she stepped out of the room and down the stairs into the loud and crowded common room. James and Sirius were, of course, right in the center of attention before the fire, though Potter was obviously enjoying the spotlight more. She rolled her eyes at him when he called loudly, "All right, Evans?" as he caught the Snitch that he had been allowing to flit around the common room and pocketed it. Something in the back of her mind told her that this was decent of him, seeing as he knew it bothered her. She pushed it out of her mind and went to sit on the footstool of Remus's armchair over next to the corner window. He pulled his sad blue eyes away from the latest thick volume borrowed from the library, and they met hers. She caught her breath and then said in a calming voice, "All right, Remus?"

He gave her a rare smile and said weakly, "I suppose. What about you, Lily? Something's troubling you--"

"Don't worry about me," she cut in, her eyes twinkling in a sad sort of way. Remus had enough problems of his own without listening to hers.

But the way her eyes had flicked back toward Potter and Black gave her away. His gaze followed hers, coming to rest on his two best friends, now avidly telling jokes again amongst gales of laughter.

"It's those two again, isn't it?" he inquired wearily, starting to get to his feet. Lily thought she would burst with pity. He sounded so _tired_.

"Oh... erm... No! Remus, of course not..." she said, trying to sound taken aback. The look on his face, that piercing gaze of his, stopped her mid-sentence. "Well, yes," she admitted guiltily, "But it's not your problem, Remus, just—just relax and forget it, ok?"

He had started to get up, but at her plea he sunk back down again, closing his eyes. Almost instinctively, she reached out and brushed away a stray strand of hair that had fallen, rather handsomely, across his weary eyes. He took her hand and lowered it, but strangely, did not release it.

"I'm so tired, Lil... so tired..." she smiled at his pet name for her as he trailed off. She closed the book now resting unattended on his lap and scooted closer to him. His hand was warm and comforting, as pale as it was. Perhaps it was too warm. She knew better than to send him to Madam Pomfrey... not much she could do for him, she knew. Instead, she gripped his hand hard, as if trying to force some her own strength into him.

They sat like that for another hour or so, talking seldom... just listening to the torrential rain pound at the windows, the laughter of the crowd, the beating of their hearts... after a while Lily too grew tired, and leaned her head on his shoulder.

Just before she drifted off to sleep, she found herself wishing she could stay this way forever. And she could have sworn he was thinking the same thing.


	2. Powwow in the Armchair

Chapter Two

James was standing in the usual place in the middle of the common room with Sirius, "working the crowd", as they called it. The Snitch was flitting quickly around their heads, flashing golden in the firelight. Everybody was laughing loudly at a joke Sirius had just told, when James found his eyes drawn to the girls' staircase. Lily. She was walking peacefully down the stone steps, hands in her pockets, eyes searching the room.

"All right, Evans?" he called hopefully, feeling his face take on a red tinge. She rolled her eyes at him.

"Pad luck, Prongs," Sirius, who was also watching Lily, muttered in his ear.

Frank Longbottom had claimed the spotlight now, reenacting for the umpteenth time the last Quidditch match against Slytherin. Frank played Keeper on the team, while James and Sirius played as Seeker and Beater. The one Frank was acting out was a memorable match, one James himself didn't mind retelling; but tonight—tonight his mind was elsewhere. He watched bitterly as Lily Evans, the most beautiful girl in all of eternity (as he thought her), went to sit by... Remus. _Remus._ Remus Lupin, the bookworm. Remus Lupin, the good boy. Remus Lupin, the _Prefect_. Great. Just great.

He started to walk over there, to break up their little pow-wow in the cozy armchair, when Sirius grabbed a handful of his robes.

"Prongs, be reasonable," he hissed quietly, "She's only a girl, Prongs. Look at Moony. He's smitten with her, leave... them... be!" he said, restraining his friend with difficulty.

"Padfoot, let _go_!"

"No, James. Not this time." Sirius muttered. It was more the use of his given name than anything else that made James stop. Sirius never called him that. He turned slightly as Sirius released his robes, and saw his friend's eyes flashing with a protective anger. Protective of whom? Moony? Yes... yes. Padfoot was protecting Moony. Remus. Of course. This realization, the fact that Sirius was not with him on this one, made him stop and think.

Sirius was right. Let Moony have his fun. He would get his chance with Lily. Later. She obviously thought Remus was better for her. Alright then. She would learn. His anger faded, and the smile returned to Sirius's eyes. James still had to use every ounce of self control that he possessed in order to not shoot jealous glances in their direction every two seconds. But about an hour later, when there was a lull in the general activity of the common room, he gave in to temptation and glanced at them: only to be stung by the sight of her beautiful head rested on his shoulder, her small hand in his, a small smile on her sleeping lips.

He didn't know how he would have reacted if Remus hadn't been one of his dearest friends. Even so, he suddenly lost every urge to be in the common room, to be with people at all.

"I'm tired," he lied to the room at large, getting to his feet. He trudged up the stairs to the boy's dormitory, ignoring Sirius's puzzled grey eyes.


	3. A Flicker of Guilt

Chapter Three

Sirius felt sympathetic in spite of himself. Given, this was the first girl that had really ever paid any attention to Remus, but it _was_ rather unfortunate that she just happened to be the same girl James had been sweet on since, well, as long as he could remember. Sirius didn't know why James bothered with the whole "I'm tired" routine. He saw right through that, and looked around for the source of Prongs' distress. He spotted it instantly. Lily and Remus were sitting side by side in the same oversized armchair, fast asleep. This wasn't the worst of it for old Prongs, though. They were holding hands and her head was leaning prettily on his shoulder.

How adorable. He let out a laugh like a bark and summoned his camera lazily with a flick of his slender wand. He took the picture, waited for it to slide out the bottom of the contraption, and placed it silently inside the cover of Moony's book.

"That should give him a smile tomorrow" he muttered to himself, and walked up the stairs to deal with James.

He opened the dormitory door loudly, and was met with the sight of Prongs's drawn hangings.

"Oh shove it, Prongs. We both know you're not really asleep." he waited a minute for a reply and, getting none, proceeded to wrench open his friend's hangings. James was lying there, still fully dressed, looking daggers at the ceiling.

"Prongs?" Sirius said uncertainly as James sat up.

"Padfoot, just leave me _alone_, alright? You've done enough."

"_Me_? What have I done this time?!? I was just trying to keep you out of trouble, mate."

"Yeah, well, thanks. Thanks a _bunch._" James was nearly shouting, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

He continued muttering to himself, Sirius catching pieces like

"... What he thinks he's doing.... Lily, honestly..... making stupid prat of myself...."

Sirius waited patiently as James trailed off into nothing. He sat cautiously on the edge of his bed, leaning back on his elbows, brushing his long dark hair out of his face impatiently.

"Well, I reckon you're being a bit unfair there, Prongs. Think about it. How many girls have you got drooling over you every day, Mr. Gryffindor Team Seeker? And Remus? Most of the girls who have figured out what he really is avoid him before they even bother getting know him. All but Lily. She _likes_ him, Prongs. And if you can't be a good enough friend to Remus to get over that... well... then you just need to get over yourself." he finished, rather lamely.

He met James's eyes, staring into them and finding a flicker of guilt. James nodded, whispering "You're right, Padfoot... I've been a prat."

Sirius nodded and grinned, saying, in what he hoped was a jovial, reassuring voice "Well, I give it a week anyhow."

James laughed and his eyes were twinkling.

"We'll see how old Moony does with a girl..."

The two friends laughed, and they spent the rest of evening sitting on Sirius's bed in their pajamas discussing Quidditch, O.W.L.'s, and planning their next adventure for full moon.

When James had turned out his light, Padfoot lay awake, listening. He felt the safest at times like these, just him, the night, and the wind. He lay there, thoughts chasing themselves around in his head until he couldn't keep his mind going any longer. It was past two before he drifted off; listening to Frank's snores and Pettigrew's whimpers of sleep, and Moony had still not come up to bed.


	4. This Sleeping Vision

Chapter Four

Remus awoke in the morning to the sunrise's first rays on his face, feeling unusually good. It took him a moment to open his eyes, not wanting to wake up, wishing he could keep this comfort here before it slipped away with the thought of the full moon that was looming ever closer, taunting him. He opened his eyes, to be met with the sight of the common room ceiling, dim in the early morning light. He yawned. Wait... the common room? What on earth—?

And then he remembered. Praying that it was not a dream, he carefully lifted his head from the back of the armchair and looked beside him. His heart wanted to burst out of his chest then and there as he took in the sight of her. Still in her blue jeans and that old green peasant top she wore so often, Lily Evans was curled up next to him, her hand in his, her red hair spilling onto his patched robes.

Oh good god. He was going to get it from Prongs now. He knew the drill. James would pretend not to be angry for as long as a week and either ignore him or be overly friendly; that is, until he reached his boiling point, and exploded in Remus's face. It had been the same routine when he had gotten a Prefect badge and James had not. He sighed, looking again at the sleeping Lily, and an unexpected wave of emotion hit him hard in the gut. He loved her.

Oh no, no, no. Not this. Not now. He had other things on his mind, he couldn't go and get himself smitten with the girl that one of his best friends was sweet on! This opinion was a strong presence in his mind, yet he could hear a part of himself asking what James would have done. He pushed it away.

Well, at any rate, he had best wake this sleeping vision before people started emerging, tousle-headed, from their dorm rooms.

"Lil?" he said softly, giving her small hand a slight squeeze.

She stirred and, still not fully awake, nestled her face in his shoulder, wrapping an arm around the front of him to rest on his other shoulder. He tried to breathe evenly, closing his eyes as if to fend off the desire to run his fingers through her hair. Just then, with possibly the worst timing a person could have, James walked down the stairs, yawning.

Remus panicked and decided that the best thing to do was to appear as if he wasn't aware that the most beautiful girl in Gryffindor was sleeping on him. He shut his eyes hastily, and slowed his breathing, pretending to be asleep.

If his eyes had been open, he would have seen James look at them first blearily, then bitterly. He cast a longing look at Lily, and, head down, clambered out the portrait hole and down to breakfast. In his pajamas.

Remus opened his eyes cautiously as he heard the Fat Lady swing shut, and tried to wake Lily again.

"Lil," he said softly once more, "Lil... hon, it's morning..."

She yawned and her emerald eyes opened halfway, gazing into his dreamily for a moment before widening in surprise.

"R-Remus?" she said, stifling a yawn. "Remus... wh--"

Then she seemed to realize that she was curled up next to him, in the common room, fully dressed, and that her arms were wrapped around him. She uttered a little squeak and released him.

"Oh, god, I'm sorry... I must have--"

"Don't bother apologizing," he said, grinning. She grinned in return. "Really, I didn't mind." He winked.

She laughed and got up, stretching. "I wonder why nobody woke us?" she wondered out loud.

He shrugged and escorted her down to breakfast, both of them talking up a storm.

After they ate, alone at the Gryffindor table besides a couple of second-years (hardly any fifth-years were up this early on a Sunday, and James was nowhere in sight), they split up; Lily to the Owlery to send a letter home, and Remus back to Gryffindor Tower to catch up on some homework.

He picked up his book off the armchair on his way up to the dormitory, and was flipping the pages absentmindedly when something fell out of it, fluttering to the floor. He picked it up, turning it over. He grinned. It was a photograph of him and Lily, probably taken last night. They were both fast asleep in the armchair, their small photographic selves breathing deeply. Occasionally the photo Lily would stir and the little Remus would wake and smile down at her. Remus held it carefully, saying a small, internal thanks to Sirius for taking the picture. It must have been Padfoot. He was the only person, who owned a camera, that Remus knew would have bothered to take it.

Oddly, he still didn't see James anywhere, though Sirius, Frank, and Peter were still in the dormitory making pillows zoom across the room and smack into each other with their wands. A favorite pastime. Moony Summoned his Spellotape and carefully stuck the photo to the inside lid of his battered trunk, shielding his activity from the other boys by turning his back to them. He should not have bothered, since they were too distracted by the final moments of their Pillow Duel to take much notice of him anyway. He stood up and, sighing, Vanished the feathers off his coverlet and set in to finish up that essay for Potions... _moonstones, eh Professor? _he thought, bemused by the simplicity.

Somehow he felt as if he couldn't stop grinning all day, even when scratching away with his quill about moonstones. At times, when he wasn't physically smiling, he could still feel the grin lurking there, eager to come out. Almost like times in class when James or Sirius were pulling some prank and you really wanted to laugh, but knew you couldn't give away the trick. He still hadn't seen James. Odd.

After the essay, he and Sirius decided to go for a bit of a walk around the lake to look for James (Padfoot hadn't seen him either) and fine-tune the plan for the next full moon. They found Prongs zooming about on the Quidditch Pitch, bolting after the nicked Snitch. As usual. They didn't bother him, as he looked rather huffy and absorbed.

"Padfoot..." Remus began, but Sirius interrupted.

"Yeah. He was mad. Don't get your knickers in a twist about it though, Moony, it's not your fault."

"Yeah... I still feel bad though, I mean, I didn't do it on purp—"

"You didn't do it on purpose. I know. Prongs will forget it." Sirius smiled reassuringly and they headed back across the smooth lawn and up to the castle.


	5. Gallivanting With Hooligans

Chapter Five

Lily was on a cloud all morning. Her best and closest friend, Ravenclaw fifth-year Sarah Finn, had noticed.

"What is _up_ with you today??" she asked exasperatedly, after asking her the same question about the Potions essay five times in a row and still gaining no response. Lily jumped, as if startled out of a reverie.

"Wha—oh...erm...nothing... I'm—tired, is all..." she trailed off, looking rather guilty and amused all at once.

Sarah saw right through it, though. (As any proper best friend should) She sighed, tucking her pretty, dark hair behind her ears.

"Who's the bloke, Lily?"

And so Lily reluctantly told the entire story of last night, a dreamy, faraway look in her eyes. Sarah's eyebrows rose steadily higher over her deep blue eyes as Lily talked, though she didn't interrupt. Finally, when she had finished, Sarah voiced, barely choking down a laugh, "_Remus?!?"_

Lily glared at her. "And what is so wrong with Remus?" she inquired testily. "He's better than _Sirius_..."

Lily laughed outright at the effect this had on Sarah. She sputtered indignantly for a bit, and then lapsed into silence as Lily pulled her pet Puffskein out of the pocket of her robes, stroking it. The little custard-colored thing hummed contentedly. Sarah smiled at it, and Lily tossed it to her. The little furry creature didn't mind in the least.

They amused themselves by tossing "Lion" back and forth and chatting; giggling at the funny humming sound it made that seemed to increase as they tossed it higher. Eventually, Sarah suggested a romp to the Pitch for some Quidditch practice. Sarah played Chaser on the Ravenclaw team. Lily agreed, since, even though she wasn't on Gryffindor's house team, she still enjoyed the game. The rain had cleared up since last night, and it seemed like good flying conditions.

Lily strolled around absently as Sarah went to fetch her new Shooting Star broomstick from her dormitory. She sat on the stone steps leading up to the Entrance Hall, watching Lion roll about in circles, occasionally sticking it's long pink tongue out to capture and devour an ant. Her eyes traveled the grounds, watching a small figure in scarlet robes zoom about the Pitch, and the usual girls splashing about in the lake.

The doors creaked open behind her and Lily turned, expecting to see Sarah, but was greeted instead by the dark figure of Severus Snape. She smiled at him, a look of pity shrouded in the green of her eyes. He glanced down at her, his lip curling. She bit her lip and looked back across the grounds, forcing the blush off her face. She knew what was making him sneer like that. It wasn't his fault, though, a part pf her protested. He was brought up that way...

She fixed her gaze instead on two figures walking back this way from the Pitch. Her heart skipped involuntarily. There was no mistaking the calm stride of Remus, nor the longish black hair of Sirius. In her distraction, however, Lion had escaped, and was rolling across the lawn toward the two boys.

"Lion..." she muttered, rising and chasing after the little furry sphere. It had beaten her, though. Sirius stooped, his midnight hair falling across his face, and scooped up Lily's pet.

"This would be a decent thing to use for Beater practice," he said, laughing. "Some poor little first-year probably lost their pet." Remus grinned at his friend, but plucked the little thing out of harm's way. He looked around, spotting Lily, and tossed it to her casually. Lily caught it.

"Thanks," she said, and tucked it into her pocket again. She had to get away from there. Sirius was grinning at her in an infuriating way that suggested knowledge of last night's events. She was thinking up an excuse to leave, but was spared the task as Sarah's voice rang out across the grounds.

"Lily Evans! Can't I leave you for ten minutes without you going off gallivanting with these hooligans?" she half-shouted in mock anger, striding up to them. Sirius grinned at her, winking. She threw him and exasperated glance and said haughtily, "Lily and I are off to play a bit of Quidditch if you don't _mind._ I blame you boys for distracting her."

Sirius said "Well, it's a bit hard not to... you know how girls get around me..." his eyes were twinkling as he dropped the subject. "We'll join you, if that's alright. We've got nothing better to do on this fine Sunday morning."

Lily rolled her eyes, but Sarah agreed to have the boys meet them on the pitch in ten minutes, and they could start up a game. Lily noticed that the scarlet-clad figure she had seen before was now gone. The girls and Remus rushed off to fetch brooms for Lily and Remus from the supply shed, and Sirius pelted back to the castle to get his broom. He returned rather quickly, Peter's soccer ball tucked under his arm to use as a Quaffle, his broom in hand. Wormtail would have undoubtedly come to play as well, but he was busy with Gobstones Club. Frank Longbottom walked with Sirius, also clutching a broom.

The friends kicked off from the ground, tossing the soccer ball around casually, Sirius swinging at it with his bat once in a while. Lily closed her eyes and turned in a loop, enjoying the peacefulness of the day, and hoping that things could stay this way, if just for a little while.


	6. Forcing Things Into Perspective

Chapter Six

James was a blurred ball of scarlet, hurtling through the air above the Pitch as fast as his broom could take him, the cool morning air whipping his face and robes, sending his disorderly hair even further in every direction. He loved this. The speed burned up his sadness, and all his focus was on the tiny glitter of gold ahead. He caught it for the tenth time, then let it go again, giving it a head-start as he caught his breath raggedly.

Then he was off again, at break-neck speed, his broom protesting slightly beneath him. He caught the Snitch in about five seconds and pocketed it, flying laps now, getting steadily closer to the smooth green turf beneath him. But his broomstick hadn't been racing nearly as quickly as his mind was. He had come down that morning to see Lily... _his _Lily... curled up next to one of his closest friends on the armchair, her arms wrapped around his neck. He had actually gone down to breakfast in his _pajamas_. After eating, he had used the secret passageway next to the Fat Lady to get back inside the boys dormitory... he hadn't fancied looking at that chair and its sleeping occupants again. He dressed absentmindedly, ending up with his Quidditch robes on and his broomstick over his shoulder, the Snitch struggling against his clenched fist.

He had paused for a moment, listening to the light snores of Frank and Peter, as well Sirius' sleepy mumbling and then had slid, silent as a ghost, back through the trapdoor and into the passageway. He had been on the Pitch ever since, battling with the sorrowful weight that seemed to have lodged itself in his stomach. Quidditch was his way of dealing with things; his way of forcing things into perspective. He realized that he had no reason to blame this on Remus. In fact, he wasn't really _angry_ about it, exactly... just-- just jealous. And hurt. Admitting this, even in his mind, had caused just as much pain as the incident itself had. He struggled to stop feeling sorry for himself and focus on the Snitch, which had been liberated from its prison in the pocket of his (undoubtedly quite smelly) robes. _Get over yourself, James_, he scolded, internally.

He had made up his mind, after an additional hour or so of chasing a tiny fluttering ball like a maniac, to just try and pretend like nothing had ever happened. He thought it would be best that way. After all, Remus was his friend and he didn't want Moony feeling as if James was trying to guilt him into something. He sighed, going into a slow dive, his toes skimming the grass before rising calmly towards the heavens once more. He stopped to watch three figures rummaging about in the supplies shed... one of them with distinctly familiar red hair. He felt a slight jolt in his stomach as they emerged with broomsticks and decided it would be best to get out of there as fast as possible. Just because he was pretending nothing had happened didn't mean he was going to try to hang around Evans like some overly talkative shadow. In fact, he was going to make a conscious effort to behave very decently around her, to show his support for Remus.

He sailed over the stands and landed hastily behind the Pitch, walking up to the castle as five figures rose into the air above the Pitch behind him. He didn't look back. After climbing through the portrait hole into the Gryffindor Tower, James ignored the crowd in the common room, and instead headed up to the dormitory. He flopped down onto his bed, pulling out his school things and sucking on the end of his quill. He supposed he should finish his homework for tomorrow, since he had nothing more interesting to do.

He had written three essays, read the entire assigned section in _A History of Magic_, and drawn a diagram of a kelpie for Care of Magical Creatures by lunch. _Done_, he thought, satisfied, as he threw down his quill at noon. The dormitory door opened just as James was standing up; and a laughing Sirius entered, followed by Remus and Frank; all three of them tousle-headed and flushed from flying.

"Oh, hey," James said.

Remus looked up. "I haven't seen you all morning, Prongs," he said, a faint frown line appearing between his eyes.

"Oh, yeah... I was finishing up all that bloody homework," said James, hoping he sounded casual as he gestured toward the homework still spread all over his four poster.

"That moonstones essay was a piece of cake," Sirius said haughtily, "It took me about ten minutes to finish. I don't know why they bother teaching us that rubbish."

Remus grinned behind Sirius' back and caught James' eye. Prongs grinned too, and the two of them walked down to lunch.

Oddly, James didn't feel any different talking to Remus. He'd thought that he would; he had imagined that things would be awkward, if not hostile, between them. But they weren't, and James was glad. He didn't know what he'd have done without Remus.

"So..." James said, grinning, "Full moon's in a couple days, my friend."

"I noticed," Remus said grimly. James' grin faded slightly for a moment before saying softly, "What have we got planned?"

Remus shrugged, saying, "I dunno. Sirius was going on about pulling pranks in Hogsmeade."

James caught the weariness in Remus' voice and was overwhelmed by a strong surge of pity. "You alright, Moony?" he asked, hoping he didn't sound too concerned. Remus hated being fussed over.

"Sure," Moony replied, a little too quickly. James frowned slightly and the two of them fell into silence. Once they reached the Great Hall, they sat about halfway down the Gryffindor table and had started loading their plates, when Sirius appeared in the huge doorway, accompanied by Lily, of all people. They seemed to be deep in conversation. James and Remus exchanged puzzled glances, and continued watching as Sirius swept his hair back and grinned at Lily. He said something, and she laughed casually.

"You'd think that they've been friends for _years_." James said sarcastically. Remus grinned and turned his attention back to his sandwich. Sirius and Lily came over to the two of them and sat down, still chatting animatedly. Remus shot Lily a quizzical glance and she mouthed at him '_later'._ He shrugged and poured a flagon of pumpkin juice for himself. Lily turned the conversation to O.W.L.'s, asking if anybody else was putting in five hours of studying a day yet.

They laughed at her for a minute before realizing that she was serious; and then tried to redeem themselves by nodding energetically and saying things like, "Well, of course... they're only a month away..." at which it was her turn to laugh. A gang of Slytherin girls chose this moment to walk by the group. One of them turned to Lily, raised her eyebrows, and said "Hey, Mudblood, since when are you Ms. Popular?"

James started to rise to his feet, as did Remus and Sirius. Surprisingly, Remus spoke first.

"Somehow," he said in a mock pondering voice, "I don't believe anybody asked for your opinion."

The girls sneered at him, and the lead one with the pug nose who had spoken before eyed Remus' patchy robes and had begun to open her mouth, as if to say something smart back at him, but she seemed to change her mind when she saw the glares coming from Sirius and James (not to mention Lily, who was red-faced but looking furious). The pug-nosed Slytherin shut her mouth and pranced off.

"Slimy gits, the whole lot of them," said Sirius, taking his seat once more, and sweeping his lengthy hair out of his face again (this caused a couple of Ravenclaw girls to sigh from behind him, but Sirius ignored them).

Lily looked awkward in James's opinion; her face was flushed and she was biting her lip and looking ashamed. He caught her eye, and was struck speechless for a moment by how _green_ they were. He smiled encouragingly, and she gave him a small smile before turning to chat with Remus. James couldn't explain, even to himself, why this was just fine with him. He turned back to Padfoot and started up a lively conversation about the Kenmare Kestrels and how spectacularly they had lost in the match against England not too long ago, and feeling as though the terrible weight in his stomach had lifted somehow.


	7. A Humble Servant

Chapter Seven

Sirius jogged back down to the Pitch, Wormtail's soccer ball tucked under his arm, talking with Frank. His Shooting Star was over his shoulder and a grin was lurking on his face at the prospect of playing Quidditch with Sarah. He had no idea, really, why he was so taken with Sarah Finn. He supposed it was because she treated him like a normal person, treated him exactly the same as all the other boys. _Well, almost the same_, he thought. She hadn't kissed all the other boys. His grin turned into a small laugh.

Frank went off to the field as Sirius grabbed a spare Beater's bat from the supplies shed. He met the rest of the group on the smooth green grass of the Quidditch Pitch, breathed in the soft scent of grass and earth, and rose into the air with the others. Sarah smiled at him and he felt his heart beat a little faster as her long dark hair streamed behind her and her deep blue eyes seemed to pull his grey ones into them. He blinked and swept his hair out of his face impatiently.

They tossed the soccer ball about, Sirius swinging at it with his bat once in a while, causing the others to duck hurriedly. After a bit, they tired of flying and landed in a huddle on the Pitch, lounging on the turf and talking. Sirius lay back on the lawn with his eyes closed, feeling the coolness of the ground seep into him. Sarah sat near Sirius with her knees tucked under her, chatting with Remus about Transfiguration, and smoothing Sirius' hair back from his face absentmindedly. Lily and Frank were still tossing the soccer ball back and forth, Frank quizzing the Muggle-born Lily about this odd sport the Muggles seemed to enjoy so much. He couldn't seem to understand why they would want to play anything that didn't involve broomsticks and small cannonballs.

The sun beamed down on the happy teenagers, all cloud cover gone now due to the warm breeze that had started up. Sarah swept her slightly damp hair back and tugged on Sirius's hand, pouting about wanting to get back inside the cool castle. He relented easily, after she said in a playfully threatening voice "Sirius Black, I am going to leave you here with these young ruffians if you don't come with me." He replied by way of gripping her hand and making her tow him off the ground, and then he held it delicately and kissed it in a very courtly manner before letting her tug him all the way off the Pitch, while he waved jovially to the rest of the group still sprawled on the lawn. He loved being with her, loved the way her eyes twinkled when she looked at him (even when she was shouting at him). He stopped her behind a nearby pine tree and pulled her into a hug, breathing in the cool, clean scent of her. She hugged him back before pushing away enough to give him a swift kiss on the cheek and run back up to the castle, her dark hair billowing behind her in the breeze.

Sirius doubled back to collect his broomstick as Frank and Remus walked toward the Entrance Hall behind Sarah. He grabbed his broom and spotted Lily shutting the battered door to the supply shed. Sirius strolled casually toward her; she waved at him and fell into step beside him as they walked back up the rolling green lawn. Lily tucked her red hair neatly behind her ears, and glanced at him before saying, "You really like her, don't you? Sarah?" she looked puzzled.

"Well yeah," said Sirius, slightly taken aback at her almost suspicious manner. "I do."

"Well, I mean, do you—really like her or is she just... just a girl? I mean, you're...er... popular, and you must have a lot of girls after you, and so I was just making sure..."

"—making sure I wouldn't break her heart." Sirius finished the sentence for her and she nodded, pulling out her little Puffskein again.

"Lily," Padfoot said seriously, turning her to face him squarely, "I have never liked another girl the way I like Sarah. Happy? But I'm afraid that you're not the only protective friend here. What of Remus? And James?"

She looked as though she would quite like to hit him. He gave her his most charming smile and brushed his hair back. She took a deep breath before answering. "I like Remus, Mr. Black. I don't intend to do anything to hurt him. And as for Potter, he seems to be acting a little less—conceited—lately... but why would you ask me about him?" she inquired shrewdly. He rolled his eyes at her, wondering how such a top student could be so stupid.

"He fancies you, _obviously." _he said, putting emphasis on the last word. She clapped a hand over her mouth and said, in a slightly muffled voice, "He does not."

Sirius assured her that he did, and wondered aloud what she intended to do about it. Lily said she didn't care in the least about who Potter liked, since he was such a show-off jock. Sirius's eyes flashed with a sudden anger, but he replied in a level voice. "You haven't bothered getting to know him." She couldn't seem to find a reply, and so he changed the subject.

"Well, I guess we have one thing in common... we're both the 'protective friends'. It would be a pity for the two 'protectors' to rip each other's throats out, especially one as pretty as yours," he grinned at her and she scoffed playfully before skipping up the stone steps leading to the Entrance Hall. _Evans isn't so bad,_ thought Padfoot as he held the door for her. _Maybe we could end up friends in spite of all this drama..._

The two unlikely walking partners actually found themselves chatting normally as they strolled into the Great Hall for lunch.

"After you," he said, bowing ironically as she walked through the door. He swept his black hair out of his face impatiently again, grinning. "A woman can never resist a humble servant," he said. She laughed, deciding not to let his flirtatious personality bother her. They looked toward the Gryffindor table, and, spotting James and Remus, sat down next to them, debating now about who was the favorite for the Quidditch Cup this year.

Remus and James both seemed confused and amused by the sudden change in Lily's attitude toward Sirius, and Sirius saw Moony shoot Lily a puzzled glance. Evans shook her head and mouthed something at him. She turned the conversation to O.W.L.'s, inquiring about the amount of studying the boys had done. Sirius laughed heartily at the prospect of actually beginning his studying this early (and the idea of studying at all), but the moment was spoilt by a passing group of green-clad Slytherin girls who decided to throw a snide comment at them about Lily's Muggle-born heritage. Sirius subconsciously felt his protectiveness spreading to include Lily as one of his friends, as he rose to face the girls, his hand clasped around his wand in the pocket of his robes. He had opened his mouth to give them a telling-off, or better yet to hex them, but Remus spoke first. Sirius contented himself with glaring at the girls, and they sauntered off.

"Slimy gits, the whole lot of them," Sirius said to nobody in particular, sweeping his lengthy hair out of his face once more. He tired of having it in his face all the time, but he wasn't confident enough in his Severing Charm ability to try and trim it himself. _Oh well, _he thought, _the girls seem to like it._ He tried not to grin as a bunch of Ravenclaw girls sighed audibly behind him, not disappointed in the least that none of them was Sarah. He would despise it if she drooled over him.

They finished lunch and Sirius left the hall with James, talking lightheartedly about (go figure) girls. "So... what's going on lately between you and Sarah?" James inquired, a wicked grin on his face. Sirius grinned and said, in his most formal voice, "A gentleman wouldn't say." He smoothed the front of his robes, a haughty look playing across his handsome features. James snorted and Sirius shoved his shoulder playfully, his stately manner dropped.


	8. Trailing Downy Feathers

Chapter Eight

Remus was feeling steadily more and more nauseous as the sun began to set in the crystalline sky. He lay in his usual chair by the fire, letting the noise and the warmth of the flames wash over him. He closed his eyes, lips trembling. His head felt like it was going to split, and he was regretting the sandwich he had eaten for lunch as it churned inside him, the only thing he had eaten all day. He opened his blue eyes a little and the common room swam before them. Sirius came to sit by him, placing a hand on Remus's forehead, worry clouding his grey eyes. Remus winced as Sirius withdrew his palm quickly, wiping the cold sweat off his hand.

"Let's get you to bed, Moony..." he mumbled, looking around for help. James was in the library with Peter and Frank, but Lily was sitting by the fire, doing homework.

"Oi, Lily!" he called. "Help me here!"

Lily looked around at him, and then leapt to her feet as she saw how pale Remus was. She scrambled over and snaked her arm under Remus's armpit and around his back as Sirius took the other side. She grunted with effort as they hoisted him up. Remus was only dimly aware of the situation, but struggled to gain his footing. His head slumped forward onto his chest, Lily gave a small, worried cry and they began their ascent to the boys dormitory. When they reached the room designated to the fifth-year boys, Sirius kicked the door open and they stumbled through it, lowering Remus carefully onto his four-poster bed. "Should we fetch Madam Pomfrey?" Lily said, soaking a towel from James's bedside table into his washbasin. Sirius shook his head, dark hair falling across his face. He didn't bother fixing it. "Not much she can do," he said darkly, "old Remus is a—"

"—Werewolf." Lily finished for him, placing the damp towel on Remus's forehead and brushing his damp hair back from his pale face. She shot Sirius a small, sad smile. "I know... I figured it out _ages_ ago."

She spoke so matter-of-factly that Sirius felt the knot of anxiety in his stomach loosen slightly. He pulled the blankets back on Remus's bed and took off his shoes. Lily tucked the sheets around Moony's shivering form, pulled the blanket over him and covered the whole lot with his patchwork quilt. She sat tensely on the edge of the bed, smoothing her skirt and looking on worriedly as Remus began to shiver.

"Is he always this bad?" she inquired, "Full moon's not until tomorrow."

"He's not always this bad until the day of. He's always a bit peaky though."

"But where—where does he _go?_ They can't keep him in the castle!"

"No... they don't..." Sirius said, eyeing Lily critically, as if summing her up. He took a deep breath. "He... he goes to the Shrieking Shack. It's not really haunted, it's him. There's a secret passage under that tree... the Whomping Willow."

"Oh..." she looked a little shocked and started smoothing the creases out of Remus's quilt furiously. Sirius saw a glint of tears in her eyes, but she turned away. He walked closer and sat next to her. On impulse, he reached forward and tilted her chin up. She looked at him, and he saw a couple tears streaking down her fair cheeks. Sirius brushed them away. "What's wrong?" he voiced.

"Oh," she blubbered quietly, trying to control herself, "Sirius, I just don't understand why it had to be him! It's so unfair, and cruel, and... oh... why did it _have_ to be him?" The constrained tears were falling again. Sirius bit his lip, feeling a bit awkward, but put his arms around her, patting her back gingerly, mumbling what he hoped were comforting words.

Before he really knew what was going on, he had Lily Evans crying all over his shoulder. "I'm assuming you don't hate me any more," he said softly into her hair. Lily looked up into his eyes. Suddenly there was more to him, something warm and friendly. And at that pivotal moment, a friendship was born. Lily straightened, wiping her face and laughing a little, meeting his eyes apologetically. "I'm sorry," she whispered. He waved off her apology like a wisp of smoke. "Don't mention it, Evans."

Remus heard this phrase come slowly to him, sluggishly penetrating the haze that seemed to cloud his mind. Oh God. Lily was there with Padfoot, Lily knew. She knew! And it was with this overwhelming feeling of shame that Remus drifted out of consciousness.

Sirius noticed Remus's tense muscles slacken, and Lily lifted up an eyelid. "He's unconscious," she said, looking pointedly at the door. "I'll stay with him, shall I? Would you fetch him a potion or... something?"

Sirius nodded and pulled open a trapdoor that had been hidden behind a loose wall panel and slipped through it, making a beeline for the hospital wing.

Lily watched him disappear and then leaned tiredly back against one of the bedposts, running her hands over the heavy red hangings. She was thinking. It had been such an odd day, really. First came James Potter being decent, then this unexpected friendship with none other than Sirius Black springs up. Sirius. Something was tickling the corner of her mind about something Sirius had said; when he had been explaining that thing about the secret passage...

Remus gave a little shudder and his eyes shot open. Lily sat up immediately and leaned over him concernedly. "Remmie? Remus, can you hear me?" His blue eyes slid into focus on her face and a blush swept over him. He opened his mouth to speak, but she placed a finger on his lips. "Shh... there, there, it's alright... I knew before, Remus it's okay..."

"No," he croaked, "It's not. I should have—"

But he was interrupted by the arrival of Sirius, who was carrying a smoking goblet.

"Oh, good, Moony. You're awake." Sirius held the goblet to his lips carefully, "Drink up, this'll fix your fever..." Remus managed to roll his eyes at him, but downed the steaming contents nonetheless.

Sirius sat gingerly on the bed as well and the three of them stayed there talking and watching as Remus regained his color. Moony was delighted to find that the two of them had finally settled their differences, and joined in their friendly conversation with renewed vigor once the potion had begun to take effect. Later, they were joined by James, Frank, and Peter. "This occasion," Potter exclaimed, "calls for a pillow fight. On guard, Evans..." he said, laughter glinting in his eyes.

The half hour that followed left the dormitory covered in feathers and resounding with laughter. At ten o' clock, Lily seemed to come back to her senses, realizing she was in the boy's dormitory at ten o' clock on a school night. The boys laughed as she said her hasty goodnights and ran from the room, trailing downy feathers down the staircase.


	9. In Golden Pools

Chapter Nine

Lily sat on the edge on Remus's bed, wringing her hands and worrying. Her emerald eyes were shining with unshed tears and she wished that she wouldn't have sent Sirius for a potion so she could have a shoulder to cry on. Again. She felt a bit ashamed of herself and turned her thoughts to the events of the day. She had felt herself drawn to the most unlikely people lately; the shy Remus, the show-off James, the haughty Sirius. Yet somehow, they didn't seem as foreign as they had before. She had given them a chance, and they had proven themselves worthy. She had an itching feeling that they had a secret... a secret that had been tantalizingly hinted at... a secret passage...

But just then Remus gave a small shudder and opened his eyes. He seemed embarrassed, and Lily realized that he had assumed that she was in the dark about his condition. She tried reassuring him, and he protested, but Sirius returned through the trapdoor before they got a chance to really talk about it. Lily watched, relieved, as Remus drank the potion Sirius had fetched and started to regain his color. They talked for a while, Lily feeling herself warming up considerably to Sirius and actually being glad that they had become friends. Lily sat with one leg draped over the edge of Remus's four-poster, leaning back with one elbow near his pillow, stroking his hair in a motherly fashion. Sirius was at the other end of the bed, legs bent, arms casually wrapped around his denim-clad knees. His grey eyes were twinkling as he talked about some of the recent pranks he had pulled with James and Remus the Prefect. Remus denied every word he said, and their bickering made Lily toss back her head and laugh.

They were joined soon after this by James, Peter, and Frank, who started up a pillow fight when she accepted the playful challenge in James's laughing hazel eyes. Lily enjoyed herself thoroughly, fending off Potter and Longbottom as Peter ducked the pillows aimed at him by Sirius. Remus stayed in bed, but was sitting up, pointing at the crisp white pillows with his wand; causing a few of them to bounce continually off James's head. Finally, Lily admitted defeat, waving a now-empty pillowcase above her head while hiding behind the laughing form of Sirius as a sign of surrender. They all (except Remus) fell upon the feather-strewn rug and laughed heartily. Only when their laughter died down slightly did Lily realize that it was past ten o' clock on a school night and she was lying on the floor, covered in feathers from head to foot, laughing her head off in a room full of boys.

She leapt to her feet, tripping over Peter's bewitched soccer ball, said goodnight to the room at large, and walked as quickly as she could from the room; thoughts of what McGonagall would have to say about this filling her mind. She sprinted down the staircase, the boys' laughter following her until she reached the still-noisy common room. A group of second-years turned to stare at her, eyes widening in shock. Lily looked behind her and spied the trail of downy white feathers she had left in her wake. Her gaze fell to her clothes, and she burst out in a fit of giggles at the sight of her feather-covered self. What a spectacle she must be! Still laughing like a maniac, she ascended the stairs to the girl's dormitory.

Lily awoke early the next morning to Lion; who was apparently trying to eat a feather that had been lying next to her ear on the pillow. It wasn't going too well, but Lily left him at it (as he seemed determined). She rose out of bed quietly, leaned on her windowsill and gazed out at the first rays of the May sunshine spilling across the grounds. She breathed in deeply and dressed, pulling on her school uniform regretfully. She left the top button of her blouse undone and loosened her tie. She didn't bother tucking in her shirttails as she glanced in the mirror, ran her fingers through her thick red hair, slipped into her worn leather shoes, and left the room for breakfast. She grabbed her robe on the way out and slid her Prefect badge into her pocket as she shut the door softly behind her so as not to wake the other girls, all of whom were still sleeping. Lily had always been an early riser.

The common room was clean and lit with the sunshine, which gathered in golden pools on the worn armchairs and the empty grate. Lily skipped softly to the portrait hole, and entered the Great Hall within a matter of minutes. She strolled down the aisle between the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw tables, blinking in the sudden sunlight pouring down relentlessly from the bewitched ceiling. She spotted a tousle-headed Sirius in the middle of the table, leaning backwards towards the Ravenclaw table, a cup of coffee in hand, talking casually with Sarah. Lily sat next to him, poured a glass of orange juice and reached across him to grab the schedule he had had propped against a large bowl of fruit.

"'Morning," said Sarah brightly to Lily, "Siri has been telling me about the interesting time you all had last night involving feathers..." She gave a wicked grin as Lily punched Sirius jokingly. He held up his hands in surrender.

"We've got Care of Magical Creatures first," she stated, "good thing, too. It's a lovely day."

Sirius nodded by way of reply, and hailed Remus; who had just appeared in the doors to the Great Hall. He seemed better than last night, though he still looked a bit off-color. The morning post owls appeared as Remus sat, absently stirring his porridge. Lily looked around hopefully for her tawny, and spotted him swooping down to perch on the edge of the fruit bowl. She smiled and stroked its beak, untying the letter from his leg. It took off again after taking a bit of pancake off of Sirius's plate, who was too absorbed in conversation with Sarah to notice anyway.

Remus inclined his head at the parchment in her hand. "Letter from home?" he asked wistfully. Lily nodded, saying "Yes, I suppose its mum again to nag me about being sure to study for the tests, you know."

"Aren't your parents Muggles?" Remus asked interestedly.

"Yes, but I've told them all about Hogwarts... I wish they could see it, they'd _adore _it, I know they would."

"What about your sister? Petunia, isn't it?"

"Yes," said Lily, her eyes hardening. "She's horrid, I tell you. Jealous, I think. Of me coming here... she goes to St. Mary's School for Girls and whenever I come home for the holidays she sneers at me and puts spiders in my bed." She laughed bitterly. "Let's talk of something else, shall we?"

After breakfast the fifth-year Gryffindors and Ravenclaws strolled out onto the sunny grounds toward the edge of the forest where Professor Kettleburn waited with a large tray of Bowtruckles. Lily hung back with Sarah, chatting quietly as the slightly dotty Professor fed wood lice to the fierce little creatures. After the lesson, Lily copied down the homework and headed back up to the castle; walking a little behind the rest of the group. She watched as Sirius drew Sarah into an alcove along the castle wall. A laughing Sarah leaned up against the cool stone, one leg bent back with her foot resting on the wall. Sirius stood, relaxed, in front of her, leaning with one palm on the mossy stone beside her head, the other gently tilting her chin up. His black hair spilled into his grey eyes as they met her blue ones. Lily sighed wistfully as he leaned in and kissed her, her hands around his neck. She chuckled to herself and decided not to wait for them.

She ran a little ways to catch up with Remus and James, who were walking with their heads together, talking in hushed voices. Lily frowned at their behavior and fell into step beside them, adjusting the strap of her bag on her shoulder. They looked up at her and dropped their suspicious manner, James complaining good-naturedly about his career advice session that clashed with Quidditch practice. Their deep discussion regarding future career options was interrupted when Severus Snape passed them in the corridor, shot a filthy look at Lily, and made to keep walking. James, however, threw out a hand and stopped him.

"Hey, _Snivelly_," he said, sneering. Lily glared at James, but he ignored her.

"I don't like the way you look at Evans, Snape. I think you should watch your step."

Snape spat at his feet, pushed past him, and set off down the corridor again; James glaring after him with clenched fists. Remus kept his eyes on the floor, a slight frown line between his eyes.

"You know, you should get off his case, Potter," spat Lily, controlling her temper with effort, "It's not his fault he's horrible. You don't have to be such a bully."

She shot him a withering glance and stalked off down the hall to History of Magic, taking a seat at the very front where James was least likely to join her. Had she looked back at the door, she would have seen James gaping at her soundlessly and, astonished, turn to Remus for some kind of explanation.


	10. Into the Fray

Chapter Ten

James spat out a feather he had nearly inhaled while he laughed at Lily's awkward departure and rose from the down-covered floor. He Vanished a path through the former contents of their pillows ad sat on Remus's bed, concern etched in his face.

"Alright, Moony?"

"Alright. What about you, Prongs? Really?"

"I'm—I'm fine. Full moon tomorrow... gods, I feels so guilty to be excited about it—"

"It's a complicated—emotion, for me. It's dreadful, but you three make it so much better, Prongs, you really do. The only problem now is Lily knows..."

"_What?!?"_ James yelped. Remus laughed sourly.

"Not about you... not about the Marauders. Just me." Remus grimaced as James winced.

"I expect she won't want anything to do with me now." James felt a surge of—was it triumph? He was instantly disgusted with himself, and pushed the sensation away.

"Oh, dragon dung, Moony. She will too. She likes you; and Evans is not the kind of person who cares about that kind of... thing..." he finished, rather lamely.

"You can get off your soapbox now, James. It's not helping."  
"Huh?"

Remus sighed. "Never mind. I always forget that you're not taking Muggle Studies."

James shrugged apologetically and went to help the other boys clean up the feathers.

James awoke Monday morning with the shining prospect of the full moon fresh in his mind, and barely resisted the urge to leap out of bed and whoop. He went to shake Sirius awake, but he had already gone down to breakfast. James grinned. He should have known; Sirius spent every waking moment possible with Ms. Sarah Finn. For his part, James was rather proud of Sirius for being able to stick with such a sensible girl when he had every other girl in the school drooling over him. It was quite an accomplishment.

He dressed in his uniform and went downstairs in time to grab a bite to eat before Care of Magical Creatures with the Ravenclaws. James didn't bother taking notes, Remus was bent diligently over his parchment, scribbling away as always—he'd copy them from him later. Bowtruckles were dull anyway. James turned his eyes to the sky. Not too many clouds, it would be good Quidditch conditions at practice later. He couldn't wait to get back in the air. They had a match on Saturday against Ravenclaw, the match that would decide which house out of the two would be competing for the Cup.

Matches against Ravenclaw were usually a good bit of fun, since Sirius was always reluctant to hit a Bludger at Sarah, who was Ravenclaw's strongest Chaser. This usually cost Gryffindor the game, which kept Sarah, at least, in a very good mood. The lesson ended and James came out of a reverie he hadn't noticed he was in, heading back toward the castle with Remus, talking in hushed voices about their plans for the night. James caught sight of Sirius kissing Sarah along the castle wall and was filled with a melancholy sort of longing as he thought of Lily. His shoulder touched Remus's, and he was brought back to earth with a guilty bump. He put Lily out of his mind. _For Moony,_ he thought.

To his delight, however, Lily joined them, falling into step beside them, frowning slightly. James had been saying "So we're meeting in the usual--", but he stopped mid-sentence, noticing Lily, and abruptly changed the subject to that of the career advice sessions that they had been assigned times to a few days ago. This sparked a discussion about their futures after graduation. The future was, in James's mind, quite a scary thing. The future seemed so _big_; it just made him want to throw up his hands in surrender. Which, he supposed, was life... throwing up your hands in a surrender to the universe, allowing destiny to sweep you along to whatever end.

His rather profound thoughts were interrupted when he caught sight of something dark out of the corner of his eye. He turned in time to see old Snape giving Lily a passing sneer. A hot anger arose in James and he threw out a hand to stop his greasy classmate.

"Hey, _Snivelly." _he spat, a sneer of his own playing across his face. James could sense Lily shooting him a spiteful look, but he didn't care. He wouldn't allow her to let him carry on like this. "I don't like the way you look at Evans, Snape. I think you should watch your step."

Snape spat at his feet and pushed past, oozing his way down the corridor once more. James stared after him, red-faced with hate and rage. His angry thoughts were interrupted by Lily's voice, riddled with disgust.

"You know, you should get off his case, Potter," she said, obviously attempting to control her temper, "It's not his fault he's horrible. You don't have to be such a bully."

_A _bully thought James, _That's out of order if anything ever was. Snape... he's foul, he's prejudiced—_

But Lily shot him a withering glance and stalked off down the hall to History of Magic. James turned to Remus, as if wanting an explanation for why this girl was so barking mad all of a sudden.

"Why is she defending him? He's the biggest _git_!" James said, bewildered. Remus looked rather uncomfortable at being caught in the middle, and he just shrugged and urged James to the door of the classroom. Lily was sitting in the very front. James sauntered to his usual place in the back where Sirius was already there, leaning back in his chair, black hair sweeping back from his face. His eyes were closed and he appeared to be asleep already. Remus trailed rather reluctantly behind James to the back and sat next to him, pulling out his notes tiredly.

"I'll take them for this class, Moony," James offered, "since you did the last one..."

Remus nodded and Professor Binns glided in from behind the dusty chalkboard, adjusting his misty spectacles and giving a dry cough. He methodically cleared his throat and began rambling on about Goblin Rebellions inn the eighteen-whatsits. James forced himself to pay attention and take Remus-worthy notes, envying Sirius, who was now sending spitballs at the ceiling with his wand. One of them fell back down onto a Hufflepuff girl's head. Sirius caught her eye apologetically and she waved cheerfully as a way of saying 'that's quite alright'.

James sighed with relief when the class had finally ended, shoving the painstakingly-taken notes into Remus's hands, knowing he would lose them if he kept them himself. He and Sirius walked out together, Sirius moaning about how dreadful that class was. Remus hung back with Lily. James let him. Sirius was practically shivering with excitement.

"By this time tonight," he said, "we'll be romping about the grounds. Might be our last chance before term's over; I haven't checked the lunar charts." He shrugged, sweeping his hair back out of his eyes, which were twinkling anticipation. James made a quiet sound of nonchalance and they walked on.

After the rest of the day's lessons, the Marauders, Lily, and Sarah sat under the beech tree by the lake, enjoying the short time they had before supper. None of them felt like studying when the late May air would just waft temptingly through the windows. This place was their favorite haunt, a place that overlooked goings-on in general, a place that was somehow in the midst of it all and secluded at the same time, as if the group were in their own little world; a dome of dappled sunlight. James leaned against the trunk, ran a hand through his hair, feeling very much at peace with the world.

Sirius, who was sprawled out lazily as usual, resembled very much his dog self as he shut his eyes contentedly, his midnight hair spilling over Sarah's robes as he rested his head in her lap. She grinned fondly down at him; which James was sure she wouldn't have done had his eyes been open. Remus was looking far worse for wear, and had pulled out a book. As he read, Lily scooted closer to him and slipped her hand in his, putting her chin on his shoulder and scanning the page he was reading. She seemed surprised at whatever it was, and struck up a lively conversation with him about it. Remus lost his weary look whenever he looked at Lily, and James loved her for it. He smiled sleepily at the pair of them, nearly all traces of his hard feelings toward Remus now gone. Peter, James decided, would have completed this happy picture, but he was (once again) missing out because of Gobstones. James smiled to himself. Being alone had humbled him, but there was strength in humility.

The castle clock rang out five, announcing supper. The happy group of teenagers, got to their feet, Sirius saving Sarah the trouble by whisking her off her feet easily and spinning her around, cradling her in his arms. She squawked indignantly at first, but kissed him deeply a moment later. James and Remus exchanged small grins, leaving them at it. Lily caught James's eye, laughing to herself, but he was sure there was a bit of longing in that laugh. If only...

After dessert, during which Sirius set off some truly fantastic firecrackers under the table, causing Peter to fall backward from his seat, and was put in detention for it, the Gryffindors trooped up to their common room, most of them wishing they had something besides studying to look forward to. James and Sirius were obviously not among these, the two of them simply quivering with anticipation. Lily kept shooting them suspicious glances between the worried ones she was sending at Remus, who was looking peaky again. James climbed through the portrait hole, planning to do his homework fast so he wouldn't have to do it after Quidditch Practice.

In the dormitory, James scribbled out his homework as quickly as he could, and then changed into his Quidditch Robes for practice. Sirius and Frank did the same. They grabbed their brooms and headed down to the Pitch. The evening air felt good against James's face as they walked down the worn, gritty stone steps to the grounds. The lawn was a deep emerald under the setting sun; the heavenly orange-tinted clouds mirrored in the glassy, smooth surface of the lake. They reached the Pitch without speaking, secretly captivated by the brilliant glowing show in the western sky.

The team kicked off the smooth green carpet of turf on the Pitch, seven scarlet figures soaring through the orange and pink sky. The evening air was slightly damp, a reminder of the rain from the night before and a hint of rain to come. James flew in loose circles, watching as Sirius lay flat to the handle of his broom and urged it as fast as it would go, shooting like a rocket straight up into the sky. He took both hands off the handle, spread is arms wide, black hair windswept, and let out a whoop of pure exuberance. Free.

James grinned and let the Snitch out of his pocket, letting it get a head start before speeding after it, catching the cold golden ball easily, its wings beating desperately against his clenched fist. The team drew together, hovering in a circle, tossing the Quaffle to warm up. They discussed tactics; James, as captain, said he wanted to go over a few formations that had been flawed in their last match.

"Ravenclaw's got a strong offense," he said, "so we need to work on some defensive tactics, as well as practice a couple offensive formations so we can get a good couple goals in before the Snitch is caught. We are so close to the Cup. I think we'll win it this year, team, I really do."

The rest of the team nodded enthusiastically.

"Okay, let's work on the Porskoff Ploy first..."

The stars were beginning to some out as the team headed to the locker rooms, heartened by the success of the practice. James and Sirius changed quickly and jogged back up to the castle, Sirius talking rather louder than James would have, about what a night was in store for them. James didn't quiet him. The night was deepening, and the full moon was in sight over the parapets of the castle. James's eyes caressed the structure, blessing every stone inch. He felt as if he belonged here, and couldn't bear to think about the time when he would leave Hogwarts for the last time ever, after graduation in two years' time. Sirius, Peter, and Remus had become his brothers by day, but the four were most connected in the time they spent under the full moon.

The best friends went up to Gryffindor Tower, where they were hailed by the other fifth years as they entered the common room. They took their places on the hearth, talking to the knot of people sitting before them about how Gryffindor was sure to crush Ravenclaw in the next match. A while later, after setting off another round of firecrackers, Sirius caught James's eye and jerked his head toward the boy's staircase. James nodded, seeing the excitement in his friend's stormy eyes, but feeling more concerned than anticipatory. He got to his feet, saying goodnight to his peers, and climbed the staircase, Sirius behind him. James opened the oaken door to their circular dorm room quietly, but he flung it wide after he caught a glimpse of the room within, horrified at the sight that met his eyes.

Remus was curled next to his four-poster in the dark, leaning heavily on his trunk and gasping for breath. He looked pallid and sick. The only light in the room came from beams of moonlight falling across the floor. James rushed to his side. He knelt, putting an arm around his friend's back. Remus turned to face him. His face was pale, his lips dry and cracking. James felt a sudden surge of guilt as he wondered how long Remus had been up here, suffering. Remus met his eyes. James bit his lip to hold back an exclamation of fright. Remus's eyes were no longer blue, but amber, the pupils reduced to black slits.

"Moony?" James inquired softly.

Remus glared at him, a canine look of rage in his eye. James stepped back. Remus did not usually transform until much later in the night. It couldn't be happening. But it was.

"Sirius, he's going to transform!" James said huskily, not daring to shout. Sirius was wide-eyed and worried. Remus had hunched over again and was not looking at them.

"No time to get Pomfrey," Sirius muttered, pulling out his wand. "_Accio Peter!_" he murmured, with a complicated twist of his wand. James didn't have time to marvel at Sirius's advanced Summoning charm (it was much harder to summon people than anything else) as Peter appeared in the doorway.

"Peter," James ordered tensely, "Go and fetch Madam Pomfrey. _Quickly._ And be quiet about it."

Peter nodded and stumbled off hastily. Sirius shut the door. The click of the lock seemed to waken Remus out of a trance. He spun round at the noise, a growl in his throat. James and Sirius looked on in horror as Remus's fingers lengthened, sharpened into claws; his form shrunk, he sprouted four powerful legs, a tufted tawny tail and thick, tawny fur. His face lengthened into a muzzle and his teeth grew into long fangs. James's heart sped up, pumping blood through his veins so quickly he thought he would explode from it; he could feel the adrenaline that comes only with fear coursing through him as well. His mind told his body to act, but he couldn't seem to manage it. He stood, gaping in a horrified sort of trance, as his friend transformed into the monstrous creature before him. His eyes darted to his wand, which lay, completely unhelpfully, on his bedside table at the other end of the room.

The werewolf lunged at James. With no time to transform, James grabbed the huge wolf mid-leap, wincing as its claws raked his scalp. He threw himself forward onto the ground, the werewolf beneath him. He clamped a hand over its muzzle, holding on with all his might. His torso pinned down the wolf's body as his legs braced him against the bedpost. He could feel the werewolf struggle, powerful muscles rippling beneath him. He couldn't hold on! Not another second!

Out of nowhere a massive black dog leapt into the fray. It snarled at the wolf, biting at its face. James backed away hurriedly, seeking his inner core as he watched the canine battle through half-open eyes. He felt the power come flowing through him, felt himself shift. He clenched his eyes shut, attempting to hurry the process. When he opened them, he was a large, silvery stag, pawing the floor nervously and helping the dog pin down the werewolf. Padfoot had clenched his jaws over the wolf's muzzle, keeping it from biting. _Padfoot!_ the stag thought at the Grim hastily, _Padfoot, get out of your form, quickly! We've got to change him back before Pomfrey gets here!! She mustn't know about us!_

The dog shifted, back into the handsome boy of fifteen, clinging desperately to the muzzle of a wolf and grunting with the effort. The wolf slashed out at Sirius's arm, a long gash appeared. Sirius yelped in a doglike way, but refused to let go. Instead, he spoke in a soothing voice to the wolf, trying to calm it. James scrambled for his wand on his bedside table, trying to regain his footing, befuddled slightly at the loss of two extra hooves to canter him forward quicker than two worn tennis shoes could. He seized the narrow strip of wood, brandishing it at the pair on the floor. He made a slashing movement with it, and there was a flash of light before James's knees buckled and he collapsed.

His mind cleared a moment later, and he shook his head to clear it. That spell took a lot of power. Too much. At least it had worked. A human Remus lay sobbing on the floor, hands clutched over his head in pain. James scrambled to join Sirius at his side. Sirius waved his wand at James's head, where the long gash was oozing blood. It stung like a whip but then disappeared, though it was still tender. James met his eyes appreciatively. Sirius did the same to the various cuts on his own body, wincing in pain as they closed.

James, whose wand was slippery in his sweaty palm, healed the cuts on Remus as gently as he could, trying to use a spell less crude than Sirius's. All evidence of the battle was gone, since the enchanted floor bore no scratches due to the protective charms that had been there for as long as James could remember. Sirius leaned against the trunk at the foot of Frank's bed, eyes closed, panting. James heaved Remus into his four-poster with enormous effort. He had to close his eyes for the room to stop spinning before he could tuck the blankets around his friend. Just as he collapsed on the end of Remus's bed, the door opened and Madam Pomfrey entered. James tried to look neither magically drained nor physically exhausted. Madam Pomfrey's warm eyes swept the room, taking in the situation and making notes in her mental record book, no doubt.

She bustled over to Remus, Peter coming in behind her, looking rather huffy and sitting on his own bed. Madam Pomfrey tutted as she felt Remus's forehead and shushed him as he whimpered.

"It's full moon," James said pointedly.

"I know that, Potter." she replied superiorly, "I think he needs a bit more rest before he needs to leave, however."

She opened her large black bag and pulled out a small bottle of foul-smelling solution, which she poured down Remus's throat, propping his head up.

"You boys keep it quiet in here for him," She glared around at them, as if to enforce their silence with her gaze alone, "And let him rest. He need not go until later. It's not time. And good boy, Pettigrew, for fetching me before anything drastic could happen."

Sirius snorted derisively.

"Is something funny, Mr. Black?" Madam Pomfrey asked in a dangerous voice. Sirius assumed an expression of wide-eyed innocence that was very convincing.

"No, Madam Pomfrey. Absolutely nothing is funny."

She shot him an evil glance and left the room.


	11. Moony Is Worth It

Chapter Eleven

Sirius, exhausted and sore from the fight, watched Madam Pomfrey leave the room. He looked at James as he sunk down next to him. He was out of breath, too.

"You wouldn't think being friends with a werewolf would be worth it. But it is." Sirius said, voicing his thoughts. James nodded.

"Moony is worth it." he said.

The two friends changed into their pajamas, not speaking. Sirius slid between the cool linen sheets, trying not to get too comfortable, not wanting to fall asleep, wanting to lie in wait until Madam Pomfrey came to fetch Remus, when they could slip out of the dormitory under the cloak. Instead, he let his thoughts drift, and as usual, they landed on Sarah. He could see her in his mind's eye, soft dark hair falling gently around her shoulders, her deep blue eyes intense and affectionate. He sighed, pushing his face into his pillow and grinning. She was everything he ever wanted—well, almost everything. His thoughts turned to James. _You don't know how lucky you are,_ he thought, _to have a home, a family who loves you... who loves you..._ He felt suddenly as though something large and sour was attempting to claw its way out of his throat. Why didn't his family love him? Why did they have to be-- the way they were? He shoved back these poison thoughts, swallowed his bitter tears. _I don't care_, he told himself firmly. _They don't deserve to be thought about, not_ _by me or anybody else. James, Remus, Sarah, Peter, and even Lily... they are my true family_. The thought warmed him, and he dozed off into a light sleep, his dreams were nothing but flashes—snapshots—of his life. Memories.

_Mum screaming at him, while Regulus stood behind her, smirking. Scrubbing the floor in the entrance hall to that horrible house, swearing as he rubbed away the dirt. Sitting idly in his bedroom, wishing that it was the first day of term. Visiting the Potter's, watching almost enviously as Mrs. Potter fussed over the state of James's room. Meeting Sarah for the first time, winking at her as she stood talking to Lily. Sitting with her on the stone steps outside the Entrance Hall, his arm around her, watching the students mill over the lawn. Lounging under the beech tree, surrounded by friends, watching exasperatedly as James showed off his Snitch. Running as a dog across the grounds, nipping at the heels of a large stag. Lounging on the Quidditch Pitch, Sarah smoothing back his hair. Sitting on Remus's bed, his arms around a sobbing Lily. Taking a picture of Remus and Lily, asleep and content. Comforting James—_

"Padfoot..." a hushed voice interrupted his dreams.

"Prongs?" he murmured groggily, "'S that you?"

"It's me," James whispered, his eyes alight with excitement. "Let's wake Wormtail, Madam Pomfrey just brought Moony down to the Willow a little bit ago..."

Sirius swung his feet over the edge of his bed, shaking his hair back from his face and yawning slightly. He slipped on his trainers and shook Wormtail awake.

"Get up, get up, little Peter," he sang quietly. Peter awoke with a start, stifling a yelp. But the next instant he grinned at Sirius, his eyes shining, and slipped on his shoes as well. There was an almost tangible air of excitement in the room, crackling in electric currents through the boys. They slid under the cloak and tiptoed out of the room, careful not to wake Frank. As they creeped through the common room, none of them noticed a small red-headed figure shrouded by the shadows.

Progress through the castle was slow, but Sirius got them to the Entrance Hall fairly quickly using a secret passageway behind a large, ornate mirror on the third floor landing. Sirius threw the cloak off him when they reached the large oak doors, yanking the iron handle until it opened with a small creaking sound. The threesome slipped out onto the moonlit grounds and began making their way down to the Whomping Willow, which stood gleaming in the moonlight, twitching a branch every now and then. Sirius could feel anticipation pulsing through him in shivering waves and caught James's eyes for approval. James grinned, and Sirius laughed. He closed his eyes, searching for some part of him that was almost out of reach. He found it, a woven ring of fire in his mind's eye, and let himself drift into it, feeling his body shift, feeling his mind shift. He opened canine eyes. A rat was scampering toward the massive tree, and a stag was cantering after it. Padfoot chased his tail absently for a moment, getting used to his form, and then ran after the other two.

Padfoot snapped playfully at Prongs as they waited for Wormtail to press the knot in the trunk. _It's the other one, dimwit!_ the dog thought at Wormtail lazily. The rat pressed the knot in question obediently, and the tree froze. Wagging his tail, Padfoot lead the way down the gap in the roots and to the end of the tunnel. They could hear the wolf from behind the door at the end of it. The Grim barked, and the wolf fell silent. Padfoot jumped up onto his hind legs and pawed the door handle, opening it quietly.

A massive tawny wolf bounded out from the doorway, tail thumping against the earthen wall in pleasure. Padfoot barked a welcome, racing the wolf down the passageway and out into the moonlight. Moony paused for a moment, gazing at the moon with a savage malice in his amber eyes. Padfoot whimpered slightly, begging the wolf to come away with them; to behave himself. The wolf tore his eyes from the full moon and greeted the stag and the rat, who had just emerged from the tunnel. The Willow began to move steadily again behind them, as the werewolf raised its head once more.

There was a light, in the trees behind them. With his canine sight, Padfoot could clearly recognize it as a wand-light. He looked closer. _Lily!_ Panic flooded through him as the werewolf sniffed the air. The Grim leapt, covered the distance between him and the wolf in a single bound. A second too late. The tawny monster caught the girl's scent and gave chase. She screamed. The dog barked, a growl building in his throat, a primitive need to protect his pack coursing through his veins. The wand-light went out. The wolf would not harm her! Not if he had anything to do with it! Padfoot ran as fast as his paws would carry him, hunting down the wolf, snapping at its heels, the stag galloping next to his own shadowy form, trying desperately to herd the wolf back to the tree. He caught the scent of rage-- a hot, spicy scent, drifting from the werewolf. The figure in the trees was running now, flat-out, her cloak streaming behind her. The wolf was gaining. Lily screamed again.

Padfoot lunged forward with all his strength, landing on the wolf, jaws snapping at its throat. Moony slashed out with his steely claws, cutting the dog's muzzle. He yelped in pain, but ran after the wolf once more. The girl reached the castle doors, flung them open. She dashed inside, not stopping to close them once more. Prongs rooted himself at the base of the steps in front of Moony, lowering his head, shoving the wolf back with his antlers. Moony growled and circled the stag, clambering up the stone steps and to the doors. Padfoot was filled with a desperate sort of horror, a desperate need to defend his pack. He bounded forward, catching the wolf's tail in his sharp teeth just before it slipped inside Hogwarts.

He gave an enormous tug, and the wolf toppled backward onto him, the two of them tumbling down the gritty stairs, jaws locked in battle. Padfoot was the first to regain his footing at the foot of the steps, ignoring the pain lancing through his body from the deep gash in his side. Prongs reared up, hooves circling like a windmill, intending to come crashing down on the furious form of Moony. But the werewolf slinked out of the way before the hooves could land. The Grim snarled, biting at the wolf's neck, trying to avoid its jaws. But the wolf struck out again, slicing Padfoot's belly. He crumpled in pain. The wolf dodged between the stag's hooves and slid through the castle door.

The dog got to its feet, recovering as quickly as he could, pure panic keeping his mind sharp. He dripped blood as he ran up the steps once more. Prongs was at his side. _No--_ he thought --_your hooves, you'll wake all the humans!_ Prongs started to argue, but stopped, saying instead, _You had better keep her safe, Padfoot._ The dog didn't reply, his mind now completely devoted to this one task. The hunt. The wolf left a trail of rage-scent behind him. Padfoot followed it, leaping down the moonlit corridors, praying that the human member of his pack had had enough sense to go someplace safe.

The chase brought him down various corridors until he could hear his quarry. He sped up, staining the scrubbed floor with his blood. The wolf was in sight in front of him, nose to the floor, closing in on his unseen prey. The jet-black dog padded forward as silently as he could, circling the wolf to back up against a rough wooden door. He leapt. The wolf was caught off-guard, and was thrown backward onto the floor. Padfoot pinned Moony down, a paw at his throat, snarling and baring his teeth. The wolf let out a small whimper of surrender. Padfoot did not release him. He looked around the corridor, searching for his pack-mate. She was nowhere in sight. There was a sound behind him. His ears pricked up. The rough wooden door was creaking open. _Damn! That's the door to Filch's office!_ The wolf picked up his thought, and apparently was intimidated enough by the dog to follow him silently into hiding behind a large pillar.

But Filch had spotted the blood and was following its trail by the light of his lantern. Padfoot's thoughts raced. What to do?!? But just then, a resounding CRASH echoed through the castle, coming from behind Filch, in the opposite direction of the dog's hiding place. Filch turned, cackling madly, and hurried off down the corridor in the other direction. Padfoot watched him go, relief flooding him. He didn't know what had made the sound, nor did he care. The wolf was still whimpering apologetically. Padfoot silenced him with a low growl. The two of them set off down the corridor toward the Entrance Hall.

Prongs waited outside the massive doors, pawing the ground nervously. _Is she alright?_ he asked immediately as they emerged. _She's fine, _Padfoot reassured him. He was starting to feel faint with the loss of blood, and his head was pounding. The other three followed him to the lake shore, where he drank and flopped down onto the dark, thick grass, exhausted and injured. The wolf was whimpering apologies as the dog licked its wounds. After he had rested and assured his pack that he would be alright, the four of them set off once more toward the forest, still shaken from the thought of what could have happened.

Sirius awoke the next morning with a terrible sense of dread lodged into his mind. It took him a moment to realize why this was so. And then last night caught up to him. _Damn_. It was all over, the game was up. Lily knew—Lily knew _everything_. What if she told Dumbledore, or worse, McGonagall? His blood ran cold at the mere thought of it. They'd be expelled for sure. He had to see her, had to know how much their newfound friendship meant to her.

He checked his clock. 5 o' clock in the morning. Good. Nobody with an ounce of sense would be up this early. He rolled out of bed, his bare feet hitting the cool floor soundlessly. He let his mind seek out the fiery magic within him almost lazily, and slipped into his dog form with ease. He padded down the staircase, claws clicking faintly on the stone. Padfoot reached the landing and headed up the forbidden steps to the girls dormitory, his dog form fooling the trick stairs.

He nosed open the door to the fifth year dormitory, slipped through it. He found Lily in an instant, her red hair cascading over her face as she slept. The dog went to her, leaning his head on the edge of her mattress and planning to nudge his cold nose in her peaceful, sleeping face as a wake-up call. But then he had a better idea, and, rearing up onto his hind legs, he placed his front paws on the bed with a soft _flump_ and licked her face continually, drooling as much as possible. She awoke with a start.

"_Eurgh!_" she squealed, wiping her face with her sleeve and kicking at her blankets. Her gaze fell to the paws resting beside her, and she looked up into the face of the dog. His head was cocked to the side, and he sneezed in what she assumed was dog laughter.

"Sirius?"

The dog sneezed again and shifted, morphed. In all of an instant, Sirius Black was standing beside her bed, looking highly entertained. Lily noticed a gash on his arm, and another, very faint now, on his face. She masked her surprise.

"Good morning, sunshine!" he said brightly.

Lily blushed scarlet and pulled the blankets back over herself. She had on a very large long-sleeved shirt and a pair of cutoff sweats so short you couldn't see more than a glimpse of the frayed edges beneath the hem of her shirt. Sirius had noticed. He smiled at her in a knowing sort of way and sat on her bed. He was in his pajamas as well; a black t-shirt and some plaid, flannel pajama pants. Lily found herself wondering how it was humanly possible to look so good in _flannel._ How did he manage it? He seemed to read her mind, and chuckled before he spoke, the smile fading.

"Lily—about last night..." he began.

'It was so scary, Sirius," she interrupted, green eyes wide, sounding breathless, "how do you stand it?"

"He's worth it." Sirius replied calmly with a shrug.

"Did you get away from Filch okay?" she asked, curious.

A little lightbulb flicked on in Sirius's head as he nodded. "Was that _you_ who made the crash?" he asked, gaping at her.

She flushed again and nodded.

"I didn't want you getting caught," she admitted.

He mouthed silently at her, and finally managed to say, "What'd you break?"

"That massive vase by the Arithmancy classroom."

He barked a quiet laugh "That big ugly one on the pedestal?" She nodded. "Wow. Well then, did _you_ get away from Filch?"

"No. He—he caught me. I got—"she winced, "sixty points from Gryffindor _and _detention on Wednesday night.

"Great! I've got mine then too!" he said, jovially clapping her on the shoulder. Then he laughed, "I never thought I'd say that to a Prefect, let alone Lily Evans."

The smile faded from his eyes, leaving them solemn.

"Thank you, Lily. If you wouldn't have done that, we would've been caught for sure, and then all hell would have broken loose. I mean it, I am eternally grateful. You saved us."

She grinned. "Well, I expect you to be my humble servant for all of eternity by way of payment."

"But of course!" he swept his hair gallantly out of his face. But his smile faltered.

Lily touched his arm, concerned.

"What about Remus?" he whispered, afraid his voice would croak if he spoke louder. Lily didn't speak at first. She stared down at her hands, her eyes filling with tears against all efforts. "I—I don't know, Sirius. I really don't." she shuddered. "Do you—do you realize how terrifying it is to be chased by a werewolf down dark corridors and know, at the same time, that under that monster lies a loved one?" Her voice shook, and she was trembling. One glittering tear traced its way down her cheek as Sirius took her hand in both of his, holding tight.

"No, I can't imagine it, Lily. And.. and I'm sorry I couldn't stop him fast enough." He looked crestfallen.

She squeezed his hands back. "No, Sirius! It's not your fault! It's—it's stupid, really, to be afraid of Remus... in... in any form..." She sounded as though she was trying to convince herself as much as Sirius.

"So you aren't frightened of him—erm, as a person?" he asked.

"Of course not!" Lily said briskly, wiping her eyes with her coverlet.

"A warning then, fair damsel" said Black, leaning closer, "Remus will be horribly embarrassed about this whole thing. Don't be surprised if he avoids you. Just know that, in his wolf form, little to none of his human mind remains. If he would have recognized you as Lily, he would not have thought of you as prey, but as one of his pack." He paused, and then added thoughtfully, "As I did."

And with that, he turned to go. Lily stood, no longer caring about her attire. He heard her get up, and turned back again, grey eyes meeting emerald ones. She stepped into his embrace, holding him close.

"Thank you," she whispered into his shoulder. He smelled fresh, like dawn over a spring lake. He released her, holding her body back scant inches from his. For one warm, heart-stopping moment, Lily thought he was going to kiss her. But he just grinned and turned away. She watched the dog make its way down the stone staircase, beams of early sunlight falling across his midnight back as they peeked through the windows, weak in the morning sky. _Sirius Black—my angel of comfort_, she thought, _how ironic._ She grinned and went back to bed.

Later that morning, Sirius, James, Peter, and Lily were all sitting down to breakfast; all of them dreading the classes to come due to complete lack of sleep. Remus was still in the hospital wing, not likely to return until noon. They had made plans to visit him during morning break. Sirius was tousle-headed and yawning as he talked with Sarah, who was the only one among them looking well-rested, though she didn't seem to have noticed. Sirius had tried to go back to sleep after his little talk with Lily, but it hadn't worked. Too many worries. He sighed. He was just toying with the idea of skipping their first class, Potions, for a nap when the morning post arrived.

A large, black owl swooped down from the ceiling toward an unsuspecting Sirius. It landed rudely on his plate and he jumped in surprise. _Since when do I get mail??_ he thought, bemused. But then he recognized the owl. It was the foul, sharp-taloned creature that belonged to his mother. He suddenly felt as though he had tried to swallow an entire package of Ice Mice at once. For in the hellish owl's beak was clamped a scarlet envelope. _Bloody hell._ He ripped the Howler from the thing's beak, and in his anger cuffed it over the head very violently; causing it to slash his cheek with one steely talon as it took off and rose into the air once more. He winced.

The envelope had begun to smoke. Sirius grabbed a nearby pitcher of pumpkin juice and quickly dropped the Howler inside. Instead of bursting into flames, the thing sent boiling jets of pumpkin juice shooting out at nearby Gryffindors. It emitted a horrible screeching voice. Though slightly muffled and watery-sounding, you could still understand the loud voice. "_YOUUU!" _it howled, sounding as though the woman screaming had chosen to gargle at the same time, "_YOU ABOMINATION, YOU ROGUE! THIS IS A WARNING! I HEARD YOU GOT INTO TROUBLE AGAIN LAST WEEK—YOU HAD BETTER START STUDYING AND EARN SOME O.W.L.'S! DON'T YOU DARE BRING SHAME ON THE ANCIENT HOUSE OF BLACK! OR ELSE!!"_ Sirius, unblushing, was now grimacing at the now-steaming juice, watching as the envelope tore itself into shreds and floated, disintegrating, to the surface of the pitcher.

"My lovely mum," he muttered to Sarah, "glad you were introduced." Sarah looked shocked, but she left her seat at the Ravenclaw table to squeeze in next to Sirius, putting an arm around his waist comfortingly.

The noise in the Hall regained its usual level, but there was uproarious laughter from the Slytherin table. Sirius turned round to look, seeking out one boy in the midst of the gales of mirth. He met the eyes of his elder brother, Regulus, and hate poured from them as he smirked. Regulus was taller and burlier than Sirius, and, though not as handsome, had the arm of the prettiest girl in Slytherin (which is really not saying much) entwined with his own. Regulus smirked at his little brother, and Sirius made a very rude hand gesture in his direction.

Sarah glared at the haughty Slytherin as well, but then turned and flipped her hair back, resting her head on Sirius's shoulder and turning away from them.

"You should come live with me and mum this summer, Sirius." she said softly into his neck. His stomach flipped and his pulse quickened at the feel of her breath on his skin. He wrapped his arm around her and replied, trying to grin. "I doubt she would approve. Besides, I think I'm staying at the Potter's."

She laughed, teasing "Oh, as if you couldn't charm mum senseless in about a minute—"

She kissed his cheek and made as if to stand, but he pulled her back down next to him and pulled her to him again, kissing her lips gently. She shivered with a quiet delight and rejoined her table before a teacher could spot them.

James, too, was sympathetic—though not particularly surprised. He had heard too many stories of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black to be shocked by a Howler. He could sense that Sirius was more hurt by this blatant dislike than he would let on. James caught his eye from across the table after Sarah had gone to sit down. Sirius grimaced again, meeting James's hazel eyes. Sirius slipped into his dog state of mind just enough to mind-speak with James: _I told you that she was a bitch. Why me, Prongs?_

James caught on, replying, _Couldn't tell you, mate. Oh well. Just kip at my place this summer._

Sirius frowned slightly. _If they'll release me from my floor-washing duties at Hell's Manor._

James laughed sadly. _We'll make them._

He broke the connection, and the two friends slipped back to their human minds once more.

After Potions class that day (which Sirius had decided against skiving off, but slept through instead), came double Arithmancy; another class with Ravenclaw. Sirius was a bit more awake than he had been upon the arrival of the Howler that morning, and it was weighing on his mind. Thoughts of his home were haunting his every step, his mother's spiteful voice echoing through his mind. He entered the classroom preoccupied, only pausing to admire the empty pedestal where a certain vase had stood just the day before. He took a seat in the back, dragging his book out of his bag in a bored kind of way, and waited for Sarah.

She breezed into the room, a small smile playing across her red-tinged lips. To Sirius, it seemed as if time had frozen her; capturing this glorious girl in one moment. He admired the way she lit up the room, dark hair frozen in the act of swinging out behind her as she skipped eagerly toward the desk beside his. Her blue eyes were warm and her whole being seemed to sparkle with life. And suddenly, he flt an overwhelming need to do more than know her, more than claim her mouth with his own. He wanted something more profound, wanted to make her feel like the beauty she was.

It was hard to grasp—a thousand images rushing through his, passing out of thought and time. He wanted to watch the sun rise with her every morning, wanted to watch it sink to the edge of the world every night with her in his arms; he wanted to dance with her on an empty stage, just the two of them in the whole world, two souls dancing to the music of the universe, knowing as she pressed up against him and their feet shuffled the dusty floor that none of it—nothing! mattered as long as they had eachother. And he knew then, all of a sudden, that this was love.


	12. On a Summer Breeze

Chapter Twelve

Remus awoke, but didn't open his eyes. He just listened to the silence of the hospital wing, savoring the pre-dawn peace. He could hear the plump, warm-hearted Madam Pomfrey bustling about quietly in her office. He let his senses deepen, and he could hear each drop of rain as it slid down his windowpane-- an early morning drizzle had formed. The peace didn't last long, however. As the first rays of faint sunlight crept across the floor, Remus's thoughts began to race. Last night had been catastrophic. He followed his recollections back until he found Lily. He had—chased her?!? Oh, dear god, no! He sat up, eyes wide, and ripped back the curtains that surrounded his bed.

His gaze traveled from bed to bed, and he breathed a heavy sigh of relief. No Lily. That had to be good. He slid back into bed before Madam Pomfrey could spot him, his mind frantically trying to drag more information from his sparse canine memories. His eyes were burning, and he could feel where there had been long gashes in his flesh. Healed over by the nurse, but still stinging. He remembered—almost—he shut his eyes tightly... he remembered being forced into submission by Padfoot, and cowering. Each attempt at remembering was causing him pain. A loud crash, escape, apologies... his head gave a nasty throb, and he gasped. His head met the pillow as he passed out.

He woke up again around ten o' clock, feeling nauseous. He forced himself to think through the fog that was clouding his mind. What could he do about Lily? _Nothing. Nothing. She'll be terrified of you by now. Stupid! How could I have let this happen? This isn't fair! Why... oh why..._ his thoughts trailed into nothing, leaving only a burning sense of shame and misery. He had lost her forever, he was sure. There was only one thing to do. He had to avoid her, somehow. There was no need to remind her of how close of a call it had been. How could he have let himself think that there was a chance for them? How could a girl like her ever love a werewolf? He cursed himself again and sat up.

Madam Pomfrey was there in an instant, cooing over him and forcing potions down his throat. "There, there, Remus. You rest now, and you'll be up and about again by lunchtime, I think."

He obeyed, the potion bringing a deep, false, feeling of content to wash over him.

He dreamed of Lily. It was horrible... he was chasing her, unable to stop, a savage will burning up all else. He was at her heels, the scent of fear coming off of her in heavy waves. The black dog was too far behind, he was barking. The werewolf snarled and leapt upon his prey, powerful jaws ripping flesh—

"No!" Remus awoke once more, gasping, feeling the cold sweat standing out on his brow. He was clutching his coverlet, trying to anchor himself against the images that were still flashing behind his eyes. He could still taste her blood on his tongue. He gagged, his empty stomach heaving. Dear god, no. He had to protect her from himself. He had to.

The door of the hospital wing opened, he could hear Madam Pomfrey saying, "Well, let me just see if he's awake. You lot stay right here! Quiet, he might be sleeping..."

her footsteps were approaching his bed. He didn't have time to lie back down and feign sleep before she pulled the curtains back gently. "You have visitors, dear" she said, smiling through her disapproval of anyone who tried to distract her patients from healing. Remus started to protest, but Sirius had already poked his head in, and, seeing him awake, waved for the others. Remus sighed. Sirius, James, Peter, and Sarah all filed in, taking seats on his bed. He smiled in spite of himself. But he had another visitor. The curtain pulled back once more, and Lily walked in. She had a look of concerned uneasiness on her face, though she was smiling. She sat next to Sirius and Sarah, who were chatting to Remus animatedly about how boring Arithmancy had been, and offering to do his homework for him. Lily smiled tremulously at him, and he felt his face going red.

_Why is she here?_ he thought, frantic, _Why did she come??_ _Perhaps she is more brave than I had thought her... or was it all a dream? No... no, the truth is there, in her eyes. I see it now. Pity. So that was it. She came because she feels sorry for me._ _Well, that won't do._

And so he put on a brave face and tried to act as if he was perfectly fine and required no pity from anybody. Which failed miserably. Sirius pulled about twenty chocolate frogs from his various pockets, and they all had fun reading off the wizard cards. Peter collected them, and nearly fainted when he found a Merlin.

"They're really rare!" he exclaimed, holding it gingerly. Sirius snorted in laughter.

Once the morning break was over, his friends had to get to their classes, and they turned to leave. Remus didn't have to force a smile as they made their way out through the curtain. Lily lagged behind.

"You'll be late," said Remus promptly.

She shook her head. "No... Remus-- I wanted to talk to you."

He looked into her eyes, wondering what he could find there. She looked rather embarrassed, almost frightened. He decided to start the apologies.

"Lily, last night... you have no idea how ashamed I am of myself." He tried, but he couldn't meet her eyes again. He felt himself go red. She sighed, and took his hand. His stomach gave an enormous lurch, and his senses turned sharper. The scent of her threatened to overwhelm him... clean laundry, the vanilla scent of kindness, a hint of herbal soap. She spoke.

"Oh, Remus, it wasn't you. Not really. I shouldn't have followed you in the first place. I was so stupid, thinking I could handle it. Can we just... just put it behind us, and continue where we left off? Please?"

He shook his head slowly, replying quietly, "No. Lily, it happened, and we can't change that." he took his hand away with difficulty, "I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to just forget about me. I don't deserve your friendship, nor do I need your pity."

He was staring fixedly at his coverlet, determined to save her, at least, from himself. She reached for him, tucking his hair back. He couldn't help it, he looked up. She was closer than she'd ever been before, even nearer than the night in the armchair. His breath caught in his throat, the world coming to a standstill. He was sitting up, unsupported by the many pillows behind him. His arms found their way around the small of her back. She was leaning in toward him, a small smile playing across her lips, arms propped on the mattress to either side of him, her legs bent at the knee, neatly resting on the bed.

He pulled her closer, putting a very small amount of pressure on her back. She came to him willingly, eagerly; he was taken over by the scent of her, the feel of her. And her lips touched his. A shiver went through her, she pushed closer still. The sweetness spread through Remus in warm ripples. Her fingers were in his hair, twisting it around them. His arms were holding tight to her back, all senses dulled except to her, all shred of logic gone in the rush of the kiss.

She pulled back an inch, and the kiss was gone as swiftly as it had come, a budding leaf drifting away on a summer breeze. He could feel her warm breath on his skin. She put her head briefly on his shoulder, an embrace, and he opened his eyes. She stood up, and glanced back at him, her cheeks tinged pink and grinning like the Cheshire Cat. He grinned back at her, and without a word... none were needed... she slipped through the curtain and was gone.

Remus joined his friends again at lunch, taking a seat next to Sirius and ladling some soup into his bowl. Sirius glanced at him slyly, a hint of hidden knowledge in his eyes. Remus ignored him, trying desperately not to turn pink. He cast his eyes about for something else to look at, but was distracted almost instantly by Lily taking the seat next to him. She didn't say anything, but slipped her hand into his under the table. Sirius, who was on the other side of Remus, looked down and snorted loudly. Remus kicked him.

Classes that afternoon would have been far worse for Remus had he not had Lily there. She was a quiet presence, a soft reassurance that all was right in the world. James was taking notes for Remus, who would sit, silent, with his head in his hands, cursing himself to the depths of hell for deciding to wake up. At long last the classes let out, and the group was free to do whatever they pleased. For James and Sirius, this meant Quidditch practice for the match on Saturday. Sirius seemed rather jittery about the whole affair; he had told Remus that he'd rather swallow a Bludger than hit it at Sarah.

This left Sarah, Lily, Remus and Peter to an evening of potential boredom. Sarah, who refused to sit still, suggested a walk around the lake, which the others latched on to immediately, glad for an excuse to do something other than the homework the teachers had been piling up on them. They strolled about, watching the giant squid drift just below the surface of the water. Remus closed his eyes, breathing deep, the breeze carrying the cool air off the water. After a slow conversation about O.W.L.'s and Career Advice sessions, which started the next day, the four went in to dinner.

The meal was a jovial affair, much loud talking and laughing was done by the Gryffindor table especially. For once, Remus felt like joining in, and he laughed and ate with the best of them. It was that sleepy feeling of contentedness that came afterward, when you are full and happy, and you can almost feel the world congratulating you on being young and joyful, that followed Remus up the staircase toward Gryffindor common room. He sat about with James and Sirius, still feeling very much content, but rather sleepy now as well. When both their conversation and their game of Exploding Snap had died down, he took his leave and made his way up the stone staircase and to bed.

Sirius watched him go, happy to see him free of pain. He breathed a little sigh, glad that the full moon catastrophe seemed to be behind them. James started in on the homework that Sirius had already finished. Sirius cast a casual glance toward the clock. It was nearing nine o' clock. That was a bit of luck. Fifth years were allowed in the corridors until nine. He muttered something to James about the library. His best friend paused mid-scribble and winked up at him. He grinned back, heading up to the dormitory to straighten up before leaving. He opened the door softly, looking at the sleeping Remus with a brother's love in his eyes.

He changed silently into worn jeans and a deep grey shirt, letting his dark hair fall into his face as he grinned into the mirror. Sarah was waiting. Sirius went over to James's trunk, opened it, and took out the silvery Invisibility Cloak. He went back down to the rowdy common room with the cloak folded in his bag, putting a hand softly on Lily's shoulder as he made his way out. She looked up from her studies and smiled, knowing where he was going. Sirius opened the portrait hole and padded down the hall, ditching his bag under a chair and pulling the Invisibility Cloak over himself as he walked. The library was almost empty, a few last-minute stragglers were making their way out. But Sarah sat in one of the rather stiff old armchairs, curled up with an enormous book in her hands. Her glasses were perched on her nose, and she was immersed in the words of the book.

The invisible Sirius crept up behind her chair, admiring her for a moment. The glasses made her look studious. He put out a hand, and brushed the hair back from her face. She jumped a little, but otherwise ignored him. She knew he was there. Sarah rose purposefully from her seat, placing the book carefully back onto its shelf. She walked over to the librarian's desk. Oddly enough, Sarah had a sort of friendship with the formidable Madam Pince.

"Thank you for the use of the library, Madam Pince," she said now, a smile on her lips.

"Yes, well. You are among the good students who put the books back," said the librarian in a stern voice, tinged with a rare kindness. "Sarah dear, I have to sort a few books yet, so if you want to stay a few extra minutes that's fine."

Sarah grinned. "Alright. Thanks. I'll just get a look at a certain spell I've been wondering about and let myself out then."

"Very well. I'll be in the back room."

"Goondight, Madam Pince."

"Goodnight, Sarah."

The librarian left. Sarah cracked a rather evil grin, and slid behind a large bookshelf, blocking herself from the view of the back room. She closed her eyes, smiling. They had played this game before. Sirius stepped to her, pushing her body back against the bookshelf, pressing up against her. She stifled a giggle and pulled the cloak off him. His hands met her waist and she shivered, pushing closer. He closed his eyes, keeping his breath slow. She was so real, but it was almost unbelievable that she was there with him. He knew what she wanted, but he didn't kiss her.

He stooped, picking up the abandoned cloak, and slipped it over the pair of them. She enjoyed the excuse to press up against his body again, taking his hand and laughing, breaking into a run when they reached the corridor. Sirius threw caution to the winds, running with her, down the empty halls and into the Entrance Hall. They opened the doors together and he bowed her through them. She went out onto the grounds, pulling her airy, long-sleeved blue shirt closer around herself in the cool air. Her worn brown shoes made soft swishing noises as she ran across the dark grass, slick with dew. Sirius followed her down to the lakeshore. She stopped at the beech tree and toyed with one of the boughs, pulling a leaf off and tucking it behind her ear, laughing. She took off her glasses and tucked them into her jean pocket.

Sirius dropped the cloak to lie in a silvery puddle among the roots of the beech. He went to her.

"Sarah," he began, but words failed him. He stepped closer, then pulled her to him and encircled her waist with his arms, gazing into those deep blue eyes. She smiled at him, and he touched his forehead to hers. "I love you," he whispered softly, releasing her waist to run a finger along her cheek. She embraced him and whispered back, "I love you more." He closed his eyes, allowing himself to drown in the sweet need that came over him. He didn't want to let go of her, ever. She was the anchor against all the insanity in his life, and he needed her. He needed her desperately.

He pushed her back a step, gingerly leaning her onto the trunk of the beech tree, and kissed her lips deeply. He smiled around their kiss as he felt her swoon slightly, clinging to a low branch nearby to keep her feet. He broke the kiss slowly, but she pulled the front of his robes back toward her and kissed him again before relinquishing. She slid to the base of the tree, closing her eyes contentedly. He sat close to her, slipping an arm around her shoulders casually; and they sat, staring at the stars twinkling through the leaves, smiling down on them. The whole world was smiling at them, two young lovers lost in thoughts of each other, connected by something most couldn't begin to fathom until it happened to them.

"Sirius," she said in a hushed voice, blue eyes reflecting the velvet sky full of diamond stars, "what's the most glorious thing that could ever happen to us?"

"It's happening." he said quietly, and she smiled in the starlight.

"I hoped you'd say that."

The days slipped past, a haze of stress, studying, Career Advice sessions, Quidditch practices, and a sense of longing for the exams to be over. The fifth years were never seen outside of the Library now that they only had a fortnight until exams. For Remus, the only thing that he thought about besides O.W.L.'s was Lily. Though there were no more kisses, hidden smiles and quiet affection took their place. Kisses between them were too... sacred, too treasured, to be wasted.

Saturday approached, and the Quidditch match changed the mood of the castle to one of tantalizing excitement. The day dawned cool and overcast, the clouds providing shelter from the sun as the players walked onto the Quidditch Pitch. Remus was in the stands with Lily and Peter, bedecked in Gryffindor rosettes, each with a Ravenclaw rosette lost among the scarlet in support for Sarah. Remus cheered with the rest as his friends emerged onto the smooth emerald field. James was looking nervous, but anticipatory. Sirius was grinning widely at Sarah, who was the very model of cool readiness.

"Mount your brooms!" Madam Hooch cried. The players mounted their assorted brooms as one. The sharp blast of the whistle rang out in the morning air, and they were off. James zoomed by the stands, his eyes darting for the Snitch. The Ravenclaw Seeker tailed him closely. Frank was in front of the goal posts, the Quaffle was released. Sarah caught it deftly and tucked it under her arm. Sirius pretended that he hadn't noticed that there had been a Bludger right next to him a moment before. He was saved the trouble, however, by the Gryffindor Chaser Megan Finnigan, who rammed into Sarah quickly, causing her to drop the Quaffle. The commentary was being run by Hufflepuff John Andrews.

"And the Quaffle is caught by Kelvin of Gryffindor, Kelvin zooming up the Pitch... nice defense there by Ravenclaw, and its Ravenclaw back in possession, Finn traveling up the Pitch and... ouch! she'll feel that one tomorrow, Bludger hit by Larry Benson of Gryffindor."

"So its Gryffindor in possession, come on, Kelvin! Nice pass there, and he shoots and SCORES! That's ten to Gryffindor."

Remus punched the air as Lily cheered loudly. The stands around them erupted in cheers from the scarlet-clad supporters.

"And its Ravenclaw now, Finn is really moving there, some unusually inaccurate Bludger work by Black, and Finn is in the scoring area, she dodges the Keeper, and... Nice work Ravenclaw! Ten-ten."

A few goals later, it was thirty-twenty to Ravenclaw, and the Seekers were still searching desperately for the Golden Snitch.

"And its Gryffindor in possession, Gryffindor heading up the field—eesh, a Bludger hit by Ravenclaw. Is that broken? Wait, Potter's seen the Snitch!"

The crowd gasped and cheered as James flew off at break-neck speed toward the Ravenclaw goal-posts. He dodged one Bludger, another. Sirius swung heavily at them, causing them to knock one of the Ravenclaw Beaters nearly off his broom. James looped the goal posts, the Ravenclaw Seeker hot on his tail. Sarah battled furiously with Kelvin for the Quaffle. She had it, and headed to the goal posts. Frank saved it! The Ravenclaw Seeker was drawing closer to the Snitch, James slammed into him, causing him to veer off course. He reached out his hand, rose from his broomstick, and made a spectacular catch, the tiny golden ball fluttering against his fist as he did a loop-de-loop and rose, triumphant, into the air.

The stadium erupted with shouts and cheers, scarlet banners and flags were waved, and Remus grabbed Lily from the waist and spun her around. Peter was bouncing up and down, yelling himself hoarse. Below, the teams were shaking hands, the Ravenclaws congratulating the Gryffindors dejectedly. Sirius couldn't seem to stop grinning. The applauding and cheering of the crowd was filling him with an explosive happiness. _We're going to the final match, a chance for the Cup!! _ He looked over at Sarah, who was shaking hands with Kelvin. Sirius walked up behind her, speaking softly into her ear.

"Good game, dearest." She turned and smiled at him. "And you," she replied. His smile faded a bit as he looked at her face.

"You're disappointed?"

"No," she lied, "I'll be there to cheer you on when you win the Cup." She grinned at him and hugged him. He closed his eyes and hugged her back, sensing her mood change as she shared his joy.

A flash of violet light came through Sirius's closed eyelids. His grey eyes shot open a second before a blinding jet of light came from out of nowhere and hit Sarah on the side of the head, glancing off. She slumped into his arms, dead weight. His mind seemed to have shut down, his senses dull.

"Sarah!" He panicked, holding her up. His stomach clenched up as he called over his shoulder for Madam Hooch. She ran over quickly, muttered something to herself, and conjured a stretcher. Sirius didn't let her aid him as he lifted her onto it. She still hadn't moved. The stretcher started do drift toward the castle, Sirius stayed next to it, walking quickly to keep close to it, his broom and bat forgotten on the field.

"Who cast it?" Sirius said to James without taking his eyes off Sarah's face. His face was set because he was sure he already knew the answer.

"Slytherin." said James, "It came from Slytherin, mate. Do you suppose it was—" but he was stopped short with a meaningful glance at Madam Hooch. He added more quietly, "We'll figure it out, Padfoot. Don't worry."

Sirius nodded shortly, his fists clenched in worry. He took a deep breath, trying to force himself to think rationally. _It was a hex. Just a hex_. But a horrible wave of hatred rose up in him at whoever had cast it. _I'll make him sorry_. he thought savagely.

"What—What is it?" he asked Madam Hooch.

"Nothing life-threatening." she replied shortly. He rolled his eyes when she wasn't looking. They reached the castle doors, and Sirius refused to be shaken off, but stayed next to her all the way to the infirmary. James, Frank, and the Ravenclaw team were behind him. Madam Pomfrey bustled out of her office, casting an experienced eye over the situation. She put Sarah into a bed near the end of the ward, and Sirius knelt beside her. The bruise on her head was purple now. Madam Pomfrey tutted and pointed her wand at it. Sarah, still not conscious, winced and stirred at it faded. Sirius noticed that he had the blankets of the bed clenched in his hands, and released them. He wanted to know what was wrong with her! He looked up at Madam Pomfrey.

"Will she be alright? Who did this? Is it just a hex? Will she be able to walk? Is she in a coma? Are you _sure_ she's alright?!?" he shot off, waiting impatiently for her response.

"Hush." she said sternly, and Sirius fell silent, chewing on his lip and sweeping his hair back out of his face. He fidgeted, and took Sarah's hand.

"Will she—"he began, but Madam Pomfrey cut him off.

"It was a hex, Mister Black. And it could have been a lot worse. Lucky for her, it seemed to have only caught the side of her head. Now, if you cannot be quiet, you will leave this ward immediately! Miss Finn will be _fine_." She reassured him, an odd smile on her face. Was it admiration?

"Hush." she said again, resuming her huffy state.

She turned her back and walked quickly into her office, returning with a bottle of foul-smelling potion. She gave the potion to Sarah, who sputtered and coughed before opening her eyes. Sirius's stomach flooded with cool relief.

"Ouch," said Sarah, touching the spot on her head where the spell had hit. Sirius grinned, delighted that she still had the power of speech.

"Yes, dear. It will hurt for the rest of the day, but it should be fine by nightfall. Now, do you want to stay here and rest or do you suppose you can make it back to your dormitory?" asked Madam Pomfrey.

"Oh, I'll be fine," Sarah said, sitting up slowly.

"Are you sure dear? Perhaps it would be better if you stayed the night..."

"No, really." said Sarah, "I'm fine." She smiled weakly at Sirius as he helped her to her feet and thanked the nurse.

"Its no trouble at all, dear. Don't you worry, they'll catch whoever it was that hexed you. Now, I want all of you out before you wake my other patients." She shooed them out with one hand, screwing the top back onto the potion bottle with the other.

The Ravenclaw team trickled out, tailed by the Gryffindors and Sarah. She had her arm around Sirius's shoulders, and his arm was wrapped around her back, helping her walk on her still slightly wobbly legs. Sirius was feeling rather faint himself, he was so relieved. Out in the corridor, the Ravenclaw team congratulated James flatly, reassured Sarah, and headed back to the Pitch and the locker rooms. The six friends wound their way down the corridor, where they stopped in front of a large tapestry. James pulled it aside with a flourish. It revealed a secret passageway. This lead on a short way to another corridor, which held nothing but a stretch of bare wall... at first. Sarah shot a quizzical look at Sirius, who only laughed in reply, its bark-like sound ringing against the walls. Remus and James stared fixedly at the wall, and Sarah caught Lily's eye. The two girls silently agreed. _They're mad_. Lily suppressed her giggles. Just then, a worn wooden door appeared in the wall directly in front of Remus. The girls stopped laughing, and Sarah broke away from Sirius to walk curiously into the room.

It was a quiet place, furnished with a collection of comfortable-looking sea-blue armchairs, strewn with pillows. There was a table in front of the grate, boasting a vase of white flowers. The grate held no fire, but instead a dozen candles, their light flickering against the white stone. The walls were a spicy green color. Sarah gasped in delight, followed shortly by Lily. The boys filed in behind them, and the door closed with a satisfying click. They all took seats around the room, Sirius lounging on the loveseat with Sarah's head on his shoulder, James on the hearth, Remus, Lily, and Peter on a long, low couch.

"What is this place?" asked Lily wonderingly.

"Well, we don't really know." said James, "But we've named it the Room of Requirement. And I have an idea."


End file.
